Wellington natural gas prices up 29 percent

Wellington customers of the Kinder Morgan energy company will face a 29 percent increase in natural gas rates beginning Nov. 1.

The company recently filed its annual gas cost adjustment with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which reflects an expected increase in market costs for natural gas through the period that ends Oct. 31, 2005. By law, the company is required to pass the cost of purchasing natural gas through to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis without realizing any profit or loss.

For customers in KMI's North Central/Front Range service area, which includes Wellington, the new rate will be $0.8755 per one hundred cubic feet (CCF), an increase of about 29 percent compared with the annual adjustment filed in 2003.

Based on annual usage of 1,000 CCF, the typical household will now pay about $876 instead of $678 for their natural gas service. As a result of the increase, customers who typically use 179 CCF in January (when bills are usually the highest) will pay $35.44 more for the natural gas portion of their bill in 2005 compared to January 2004.