Columbia Gas Offers Ways To Save On Energy Bills

Columbia Gas of Ohio has proposed several energy conservation measures to help customers cut back as natural gas prices reach record highs. The company has filed for permission with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to implement a Demand-Side Management plan for residential and small commercial customers running from 2009 through 2011.

The $24.9 million program would offer customers rebates for home energy audits and to install high-efficiency gas furnaces, programmable thermostats and low-flow shower heads. It also would offer financial incentives to homebuilders to make houses more energy efficient.

Columbia Gas would recoup the costs through an addition to customers' bills that it estimated would average less than 50 cents a month. The charges would begin in May 2010.

Massachusett's Governor Signs Landmark Energy Bill

Governor Deval Patrick signed a landmark energy bill today that is being hailed as one of the nation's most innovative ways to curtail reliance on fossil fuels and boost efficiency with the use of wind, solar, and other renewable power sources.

The legislation requires utilities to make significant investments in energy efficiency, allows consumers with solar panels to sell electricity back to the grid at competitive rates, and starts a program that will place solar panels on the roofs of hundreds if not thousands of homes and businesses.