Gas News Release

June 21, 2000

East Ohio Gas Expands Energy Choice Program Systemwide

CLEVELAND, OH -- Beginning this fall, all East Ohio Gas residential and small commercial customers in the Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Warren, Ashtabula and Lima areas will be able to buy natural gas from a variety of suppliers. This opportunity will be available under a systemwide Energy Choice program expansion announced today by the company, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel (OCC).

Under Energy Choice, launched as a 10-county pilot program in 1997, participating customers may choose from a variety of natural gas commodity suppliers, while relying on East Ohio Gas to continue delivering that gas to their homes or businesses. These customers also have the option of continuing to buy natural gas supplies from East Ohio Gas at its regulated cost.

Energy Choice represents a major change in the way East Ohio Gas residential and small business customers buy natural gas. Under Energy Choice, these customers may shop among a variety of energy suppliers, seeking the offer that best meets their particular needs.

On June 19, East Ohio Gas kicked off a comprehensive customer education campaign, developed jointly with the PUCO and OCC, to help customers make informed choices. Participating energy suppliers will begin advertising and signing up customers September 1, and begin supplying natural gas to those customers November 1. Customers who do choose to buy their natural gas from other suppliers would still remain East Ohio Gas customers for the delivery of that gas to their homes and businesses. In addition, East Ohio Gas will continue to read all of its customers' meters, as well as provide 24-hour emergency service, telephone service from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and regular customer service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, to all of its customers. Customers can now manage the largest portion of their gas bill, and customers could see potential savings from other suppliers. Choosing another gas supplier is not mandatory and customers will have the option of keeping East Ohio Gas as their supplier.

“East Ohio Gas encourages customers to choose,” noted Bruce Klink, Vice President, Regulatory and Pricing, with Dominion, East Ohio Gas’ parent company. “Energy Choice will give residential and small business customers throughout our entire system more energy supply options than ever before. We have provided supplier choice to our large industrial customers since 1974 and now we will soon be providing similar supply options for area families and small businesses."

“Gas choice is important to Ohio consumers because it allows them to have greater control over their heating costs,” said Commissioner Don Mason of the PUCO. “I am pleased to participate today in this milestone for East Ohio Gas and its customers as its pilot choice project is expanded to include all customers in its service territory. With this expansion, I am confident that Ohio will continue to provide customer choice programs, which are held out as models throughout the U.S.”

“This is the next step in bringing natural gas choice to all residential customers of East Ohio Gas,” said Ohio Consumer’s Counsel Robert S. Tongren. “Customers in the 10-county pilot area have experienced benefits since the program was implemented in 1997. I fully support the expansion of this program throughout East Ohio’s service territory.”

Thus far, about 30,000 of 160,000 eligible customers in the Energy Choice pilot area, including Ashland, Belmont, Carroll, Holmes, Knox, Monroe, Stark, Tuscarawas, Washington and Wayne counties, have opted to purchase natural gas supplies from participating marketers.

Based on results of the pilot program, which included customers in the Canton, Marietta, Massillon, New Philadelphia and Wooster areas, East Ohio Gas is working closely with the PUCO and the OCC to expand Energy Choice to the company’s entire 1.2-million customer base East Ohio Gas service territory.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2000, suppliers will be contacting customers.

Customers may obtain more information on the Energy Choice program at the East Ohio Gas website. Customers also can call the PUCO’s Natural Gas Choice Infoline at 1-800-299-7271, or by visiting the PUCO’s website at www.puc.state.oh.us. The OCC also provides free energy Choice information by calling 1-877-742-5622, or by visiting the OCC’s website at www.state.oh.us/cons.

Cleveland-based East Ohio Gas is the largest natural gas distribution subsidiary of Dominion, the nation’s largest integrated electric and natural gas energy company, based in Richmond, Va.

Contact: 
Neil Durbin, (216) 736-6239
Tracy Oliver, (216) 736-6219
(Toll-free in Ohio, 1-800-556-4400)