Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Rate Selection Guide
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is a NiSource natural gas distribution utility serving roughly 445,000 customers across 26 Pennsylvania counties. Pennsylvania's deregulated gas market lets commercial and industrial customers shop for supply through PA Customer Choice, while Columbia Gas continues to own distribution, billing, and metering.
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate SGSS | Small C&I (sales) | Customer charge + distribution per therm + commodity pass-through | Small businesses staying with Columbia Gas supply |
| Rate SGDS | Small C&I (distribution-only) | Customer charge + distribution per therm (commodity via supplier) | Small businesses shopping supply under PA Choice |
| Rate LGSS | Large C&I (sales) | Customer charge + volumetric distribution + commodity | Larger sites on bundled service |
| Rate LDS / MLDS | Large/Industrial (distribution-only) | Customer/contract charge + volumetric distribution (+ demand for large loads) | High-volume industrial loads shopping supply |
Market Overview
Columbia Gas distribution charges are PUC-regulated, but the gas commodity is competitive. C&I customers can stay on Columbia Gas sales service (with a Price to Compare / Gas Cost Rate that passes through commodity at no markup) or shop suppliers under PA Customer Choice and take distribution-only service.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Rates effective for service rendered on or after January 1, 2026 reflect the PUC's December 4, 2025 final order, which approved an annual distribution-revenue increase of roughly $55.6 million (about 6.05%) - well below the ~$110.5 million (12%) Columbia Gas requested. Commercial and industrial customers pay a monthly customer charge plus a volumetric distribution charge in therms, with the gas-commodity portion either passed through on Columbia Gas sales service or supplied competitively. Exact per-therm C&I distribution rates are set in the tariff (Supplement No. 414, effective April 1, 2026); the figures below describe structure and verified case-level changes rather than asserting unpublished per-therm dollar amounts.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate SGSS - Small General Sales Service | commercial | Commercial or industrial customers with total throughput <= 64,400 therms annually who take bundled (sales) service from Columbia Gas. | Monthly customer charge + volumetric distribution charge per therm + gas-commodity pass-through (Gas Cost Rate / Price to Compare). Subject to STAS surcharge and riders (PGDC, CAF, Universal Service). Per-therm rates set in the tariff. | — |
| Rate SGDS - Small General Distribution Service | commercial | Small commercial/industrial customers (generally <= 64,400 therms/yr) who buy gas from a competitive supplier under PA Customer Choice and take distribution-only service from Columbia Gas. | Monthly customer charge + volumetric distribution charge per therm (commodity billed by the chosen supplier). Subject to STAS and applicable riders. Per-therm rates set in the tariff. | — |
| Rate LGSS - Large General Sales Service | commercial | Larger commercial/industrial customers above the small-service threshold taking bundled sales service from Columbia Gas. | Monthly customer charge + tiered/volumetric distribution charge per therm + commodity pass-through. Riders and STAS apply. Per-therm rates set in the tariff. | — |
| Rate LDS - Large Distribution Service | industrial | Large industrial/commercial customers buying gas competitively and taking distribution-only service. | Monthly customer charge + volumetric distribution charge per therm, often with demand/contract components for large loads. Commodity billed by supplier. Per-therm rates set in the tariff. | — |
| Rate MLDS - Main Line Distribution Service | industrial | Very large industrial customers located on or near main transmission lines taking distribution-only service. | Customer/contract charge + volumetric distribution charge with potential demand components for high-volume mainline loads. Commodity supplied competitively. Per-therm rates set in the tariff. | — |
| Rate CDS - Cogeneration Distribution Service | industrial | Cogeneration / on-site generation facilities taking distribution-only service from Columbia Gas. | Customer charge + volumetric distribution charge tailored to cogeneration loads; commodity supplied competitively. Per-therm rates set in the tariff. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small business / light commercial
Small commercial sites under ~64,400 therms/year should confirm they are on SGSS (sales) or SGDS (distribution-only) and decide whether to shop supply.
These small-general schedules carry the lowest fixed charges for low-throughput sites; choosing distribution-only lets you capture competitive commodity pricing.
- Check the Price to Compare before shopping
- Use MyAccount to track monthly therms
- Authorize a consultant via the Release Form if you need detailed data
Large commercial / multi-site
Larger commercial loads above the small-service threshold should evaluate LGSS vs. distribution-only LDS while consolidating data across sites.
Above ~64,400 therms/yr, large general/distribution schedules apply; distribution-only plus competitive supply usually beats bundled sales service for steady loads.
- Aggregate usage across meters via Nectar's API
- Lock fixed commodity pricing for budget certainty
- Right-size the schedule to actual annual throughput
Industrial / high-volume
High-volume industrial and cogeneration loads should review LDS, MLDS, or CDS and manage demand/contract components alongside competitive supply.
Mainline and cogeneration schedules are built for large, steady loads and can include contract/demand terms; commodity is best procured competitively at scale.
- Negotiate term commodity contracts for large volumes
- Use multi-year historical usage for procurement and efficiency
- Coordinate with suppliers via Aviator for nominations
Data-driven energy management
Companies running energy management or ESG reporting should plan around the lack of Green Button/EDI by using the Release Form or Nectar's API.
Columbia Gas offers no public API or Green Button, so automated data access depends on Nectar's API (docs.nectarclimate.com) or authorized Release Form requests.
- Use Nectar's API for recurring programmatic data retrieval — see docs.nectarclimate.com
- Submit a Customer Information Release Form for one-off pulls
- Expect monthly granularity for gas usage
Historical Rate Trends
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania has filed periodic base-rate cases with the PA PUC. The most recent (2025 case, R-2025) concluded December 4, 2025 with rates effective January 1, 2026.
January 1, 2026
PUC approved a ~$55.6 million annual distribution-revenue increase (about 6.05%), well below the ~$110.5 million (12%) requested. Residential customer charge set at $23/month (from $17.25); average residential bill (70 therms) rose about 5.34%.
+6.05%Overall trend: Distribution rates have risen through successive base-rate cases driven by infrastructure replacement, though the PUC has consistently approved increases far smaller than requested.
Next expected change: Periodic Gas Cost Rate / Purchased Gas adjustments update commodity charges; the next base-rate case timing is not yet announced.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because distribution charges are fixed by tariff, C&I savings at Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania come mainly from optimizing the competitive gas commodity, selecting the correct schedule for throughput, and reducing consumption.
Shop the gas commodity under PA Choice
For: All C&I customers
Compare competitive supplier offers against Columbia Gas's Price to Compare and lock favorable fixed-price terms for the commodity portion of the bill.
Confirm correct rate schedule
For: All C&I customers
Verify annual throughput against the ~64,400 therm/yr small/large threshold so the business is on the lowest-cost applicable schedule (e.g. SGDS vs. LDS).
Use historical usage data for efficiency
For: C&I customers
Pull multi-year usage from the Historical Usage Portal or via the Release Form / aggregators to target high-consumption periods and equipment.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania interval data →
Deregulated Market Shopping
Pennsylvania's competitive gas market (PA Customer Choice) lets Columbia Gas C&I customers buy the gas commodity from licensed suppliers while Columbia Gas continues distribution and billing. Compare offers to Columbia Gas's Price to Compare before switching.
How to Compare Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Suppliers
- 01Find your Price to Compare on a recent Columbia Gas bill or at PAGasSwitch.com
- 02Compare licensed supplier offers at https://www.pagasswitch.com/
- 03Confirm price type (fixed vs. variable), term length, and any fees
- 04Enroll with the chosen supplier; Columbia Gas continues distribution and billing
Contract Terms for Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Supply Agreements
- Fixed vs. variable commodity pricing
- Contract term length and renewal/rollover terms
- Early termination or cancellation fees
- Whether the price includes all commodity-related charges
Common Pitfalls When Shopping Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Rates
- Teaser variable rates that rise after an introductory period
- Automatic rollover to higher variable rates at term end
- Distribution charges are unaffected by shopping - savings come only from the commodity portion
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a commercial customer choose their natural gas supplier with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania?▾
Yes. Pennsylvania has a deregulated gas market. Under the PA Customer Choice program, commercial and industrial customers can buy the gas commodity from a licensed competitive supplier while Columbia Gas continues to provide distribution and billing. Compare offers against Columbia Gas's Price to Compare at PAGasSwitch.com before switching.
How does a C&I customer get historical usage data from Columbia Gas?▾
Commercial and industrial customers (and their authorized suppliers) can query historical usage through the Aviator-credentialed Historical Usage Portal at hdp.columbiasuppliers.com. Customers can also authorize a third party to receive billing and usage data using the Customer Information Release Form, or use Nectar, which provides API access to this utility's billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com. Columbia Gas does not offer Green Button or a public API.
Does Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania support Green Button or EDI?▾
No. Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania does not implement Green Button (Download or Connect My Data) and explicitly does not support EDI. Supplier data exchange uses a proprietary flat-file File Exchange format rather than ANSI X12 or EDIFACT.
What rate schedule applies to my business?▾
It depends on annual throughput and whether you shop for supply. Small commercial/industrial customers (<= ~64,400 therms/year) fall under SGSS (sales) or SGDS (distribution-only); larger loads use LGSS, LDS, MLDS, or CDS. Exact per-therm distribution rates are set in the Columbia Gas PA tariff (Supplement No. 414).
How much did Columbia Gas rates change for 2026?▾
The PA PUC approved an annual distribution-revenue increase of about $55.6 million (roughly 6.05%) effective for service rendered on or after January 1, 2026 - far below the ~$110.5 million (12%) Columbia Gas requested. The residential customer charge rose to $23/month. C&I distribution charges also adjusted; see the tariff for per-schedule figures.
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