As cooler weather arrives and more Virginians turn to natural gas to heat their homes, Columbia Gas of Virginia bills are set to increase.
The natural gas utility’s rates are going up for service rendered on or after Oct. 12, raising the average residential customer’s monthly bill by $10.81, or 11.11%.
Columbia Gas is enacting, on an interim basis, a rate increase for which it filed an application in May with Virginia’s State Corporation Commission. If the SCC ultimately approves lower rates after it finishes evaluating the company’s application, Columbia Gas will refund the difference with interest.
The SCC will hold a public hearing on the company’s rate increase request on Dec. 15. The commission is accepting public comments through Dec. 8.
The company also has asked the SCC for permission to raise the average residential monthly bill another $3.03, or 3%, for service starting in October 2027.
Columbia Gas defines an average residential customer as one who uses 5.1 dekatherms of gas per month. The average residential monthly bill today stands at about $97 and would rise about $14 to $111 if both increases are approved.
The rates in question are base rates, which make up about 60% of a customer’s bill and are separate from the cost of gas. By law, the Chester-based company passes on the cost of natural gas to consumers directly without markup.
The company says that the new rates will “allow for the company’s continued improvements to its natural gas distribution system; to continue to provide safe, reliable and high-quality service to its customers; and to accommodate the sustained demand for natural gas in the areas Columbia Gas serves.”
Columbia Gas says that its proposed two-part rate increase would provide $78.9 million to pay for new software to improve customer communications, advanced meters and pipes that are safer and more reliable, as well as other improvements.
The utility’s last rate case was decided in May 2025, when the SCC approved an increase that added about $6 to the average residential bill. Columbia Gas had asked for more, hoping for an increase of about $9 per month for the average residential customer.
Columbia Gas serves 293,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 98 cities, towns and counties throughout Virginia, including in the Lynchburg region, Southside, and Alleghany and Giles counties.
One in three Virginia households use natural gas for home heating, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Virginia’s Department of Social Services administers an energy assistance program for residents who need help with heating bills. Applications will be accepted Oct. 13 through Nov. 13. Columbia Gas offers other assistance, including budget plans and income-eligible support.
