PA Consumers See Natural Gas Bills Go Down Again

The low commodity price of natural gas, due in part to the large supply created by Marcellus Shale gas, is resulting in lower monthly utility bills for customers in Berks County, PA, in an area not even part of the Marcellus Shale play.

The energy picture got brighter again Wednesday when UGI Utilities Inc. announced a 4.3 percent cut in natural gas rates for its Berks County customers.

Beginning today, the average residential customer’s monthly bill will drop to $89.64 from $93.72. The latest decrease is due to falling prices prompted by increased natural gas supply, including the Marcellus shale formation, a portion of which is in Pennsylvania, UGI officials said.

The decrease also means the average monthly residential bill is 40 percent lower than it was four years ago.

UGI Penn Natural Gas, which serves the Hamburg area, also announced a price drop of 4.5 percent, effective today. The average Penn Natural Gas customer’s monthly bill will drop to $94.42 from $98.83.*

*Reading Eagle (Mar 1, 2012) – UGI cuts natural gas rates