CANONSBURG — Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc., a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., filed a request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC) to approve revised rates for further upgrading and replacing portions of the company’s underground natural gas distribution pipelines to benefit its customers.

PUC’s review process will take approximately nine months. As a result, in this case, any approved and adjusted rates would not go into effect until mid- to late December.

Approval of the proposal would result in the average total bill for a residential customer who purchases 70 therms of gas per month from Columbia Gas to increase from $138.52 to $154.29 per month, or by 11.38%. The total bill for a small commercial customer purchasing 150 therms of gas from Columbia Gas per month would increase from $240.61 to $269.45, or by 11.99%. The total monthly bill for a small industrial customer purchasing 1,460 therms of gas from Columbia Gas would increase from $1,907.69 to $2,109.67 per month, or by 10.59%.

The total overall request represents a $110.5 million annual increase.

The public has a voice in the review process. Anyone interested in the case can participate by reaching out to the PA PUC, and the company encourages involvement by customers and any interested parties.

Customers can participate through written comments, attendance at public hearings and through various consumer advocacy organizations that participate in the proceedings.

Customers with questions regarding the proposed rates may call Columbia Gas at (888) 460-4332 or visit ColumbiaGasPA.com for more information.

Columbia Gas, company officials said, has invested more than $4.1 billion in Pennsylvania since 2007 as part of its long-term plan to modernize and expand its natural gas distribution system. Of that amount, approximately $3.2 billion has been dedicated to replacing nearly 1,500 miles of aging pipeline, and the company plans to continue investing in infrastructure replacement for the safety of its communities.

“Ensuring the continued reliability of the vital service we provide and the long-term safety of our customers and communities we serve are indispensable parts of our business, and they require a necessary level of investment to modernize our more than 7,800 miles of energy infrastructure to meet our customers’ current and future energy needs,” said Mark Kempic, Columbia Gas president and chief operating officer.

Company officials added that the proposal supports continued investments in strategic safety initiatives, such as advanced leak detection technology, enhanced workforce training and continuous improvement processes to sustain a positive customer experience and company culture that is focused on safely meeting or exceeding all federal and state industry requirements.

“Even with these necessary investments, any change in customer bills is meaningful,” Kempic said. “We are sensitive to that and want customers to know that assistance is available. We’re here to help and to work with customers to identify solutions to keep them connected.”

Any Columbia Gas customer who may have fallen behind on their energy bills is encouraged to reach out to the company at (888) 460-4332 or by visiting columbiagaspa. com/assistance.