Columbia Gas of Ohio Data Access Guide
Columbia Gas of Ohio, a NiSource local distribution company, delivers natural gas to roughly 1.22 million customers across Ohio. The utility offers a self-service online portal for monthly billing and usage data, supports gas supplier choice through Ohio's Energy Choice program and Standard Choice Offer (SCO), and exchanges supplier data via a proprietary flat-file system rather than ANSI X12 EDI.
Billing Data Access
Columbia Gas of Ohio provides online access to billing and monthly usage data through the MyAccount portal for both residential and commercial customers. Bills are available as PDF downloads; third parties access customer data via a signed Release Form.
What Data Is on Your Columbia Gas of Ohio Bill
- Current and past billing statements (PDF)
- Payment history and records
- Monthly meter reading / usage data (therms or Ccf)
- Account and service-address details
- Usage trends and year-over-year comparisons
How to Download Columbia Gas of Ohio Bills (Business & Commercial)
- 01Register the business account in MyAccount with the account number from a recent bill
- 02View bills and monthly usage under Bills & Payments and My Usage
- 03For multiple sites, add each account under Manage Account
- 04For third-party/consultant access, complete the Release Form at https://www.columbiagasohio.com/release
- 05Enroll in CHOICE or Transportation Service for supplier-level data if applicable
How to Download Columbia Gas of Ohio Bills (Residential)
- 01Register at https://www.columbiagasohio.com/my-account/sign-in-register using your account number and service address
- 02Log in at https://myaccount.columbiagasohio.com/
- 03Open Bills & Payments to view or download statements
- 04Open My Usage to review monthly consumption and trends
- 05Set billing alerts under Alerts & Notifications
Third-Party Access to Columbia Gas of Ohio Billing Data
Customer Release Form
- 01Customer downloads the Release Form at https://www.columbiagasohio.com/release
- 02Complete with account number(s), service address, third-party name, and authorization duration (typically 1-3 years)
- 03Customer signs the form
- 04Submit via document upload (https://www.columbiagasohio.com/help/forms), mail, or email
- 05Columbia Gas processes within ~5-10 business days
Nectar API
- 01Customer authorizes Nectar to access their Columbia Gas account
- 02Nectar retrieves available billing and usage data programmatically
- 03Integration details at docs.nectarclimate.com
Want to understand the charges on your bill?
See the Columbia Gas of Ohio Rate Schedules & Tariff Guide →Interval Data & Smart Meters
Columbia Gas of Ohio uses Automated Meter Reading (AMR), not AMI. Meters are read automatically once per month, so only monthly usage data is available. The utility does NOT provide 15-minute or hourly interval consumption data to customers or third parties.
How to Download Columbia Gas of Ohio Interval Data via Green Button
- 01Green Button is not offered by Columbia Gas of Ohio.
- 02To obtain monthly usage, log in at https://myaccount.columbiagasohio.com/usage and view or screenshot/print the displayed data.
- 03For programmatic retrieval, Nectar provides API access to this utility's billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
Interval data is essential for rate comparison and TOU analysis.
See which Columbia Gas of Ohio rate schedule is best for your usage pattern →Sources
Third-Party API Access
Columbia Gas of Ohio does not publish a developer API or Share My Data portal for customer consumption data. Third-party access is handled through the signed Release Form, or via Nectar, which provides API access to this utility's billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com. Supplier data exchange is handled via the proprietary flat-file File Exchange (EFTP) and the Aviator nomination system, not a REST API.
How to Register as a Columbia Gas of Ohio API Vendor
- 01Have the customer sign the Release Form (https://www.columbiagasohio.com/release), OR
- 02Use Nectar's API to retrieve the customer's billing data with their authorization (docs.nectarclimate.com)
- 03Retrieve monthly billing/usage data through the authorized channel
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Supported Columbia Gas of Ohio EDI Transaction Sets
| Code | Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Ohio Choice File Layout | Standardized flat-file format for CHOICE program enrollment and billing data. |
| N/A | Bill Message File Layout | Flat-file format for submitting billing and charge data. |
| N/A | Aviator Nomination Format | Format for daily gas delivery nominations via the Aviator system. |
How to Enroll in Columbia Gas of Ohio EDI
- 01Verify eligibility for the CHOICE or Transportation Service program
- 02Complete the Retail Natural Gas Supplier Information Form (per Tariff Section 20 financial requirements)
- 03Email the application to transportevaluations@nisource.com with the $250 CHOICE application fee and $50 credit evaluation fee
- 04Complete EFTP encryption file-exchange testing
- 05Submit customer enrollment files per the Ohio Choice File Layout (flat-file)
- 06Submit daily nominations via the Aviator system (https://www.ldcaviator.com/)
Rate Schedules & Tariff Analysis
Columbia Gas of Ohio's C&I bill separates regulated delivery (distribution) charges, set in PUCO Tariff No. 2, from the gas commodity, which is either the default SCO price or a competitive CHOICE/Transportation supplier price. The delivery side is volumetric (per Ccf) plus a fixed monthly customer charge and various riders; the commodity side is where C&I customers can capture savings by shopping.
Columbia Gas of Ohio Rate Schedule List
| Schedule | Applicability |
|---|---|
| Small General Service / SGTS | Smaller commercial volumes below the SGS breakpoint |
| General Service / GTS | Larger commercial volumes above the SGS breakpoint |
| Transportation Service (TS) | C&I customers self-supplying gas |
Columbia Gas of Ohio Rate Features & TOU Details
- Delivery charges regulated under PUCO Tariff No. 2 (effective May 29, 2026)
- Gas commodity is competitive: SCO default vs. CHOICE marketers vs. self-supply under Transportation Service
- SCO = NYMEX month-end + $2.25/Mcf Retail Price Adjustment, reset monthly
- SGS/GS volumetric breakpoint proposed to rise from 300 to 600 Mcf/year
- Largest C&I sites use Transportation Service with Aviator nominations
For a deeper analysis including cost optimization strategies and historical rate trends:
Read the full Columbia Gas of Ohio Rate Optimization Guide →Limitations & Considerations
- ⚠No interval data: AMR meters provide monthly reads only - no 15-minute or hourly gas data.
- ⚠No Green Button Download or Connect My Data (GBCMD).
- ⚠No public customer-data API or developer portal.
- ⚠No ANSI X12 EDI - supplier data exchange uses a proprietary flat-file (EFTP) format.
- ⚠No formal 'Share My Data' portal; third-party access relies on the signed Release Form or Nectar's API (docs.nectarclimate.com).
- ⚠Specific C&I delivery (distribution) charges are not published as simple figures and must be read from PUCO Tariff No. 2.
Columbia Gas of Ohio Data Access FAQ
Does Columbia Gas of Ohio offer Green Button or an interval-data API for commercial customers?▾
No. Columbia Gas uses Automated Meter Reading (AMR), which provides monthly reads only. There is no Green Button Download, no Green Button Connect My Data, and no public customer-data API. C&I customers access monthly usage through the MyAccount portal, a signed Release Form for third parties, or via Nectar, which provides API access to this utility's billing data — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
How are commercial gas supply rates set in Ohio?▾
Ohio gas supply is deregulated. Distribution (delivery) charges are regulated under PUCO Tariff No. 2, while the gas commodity is competitive. Customers can take the default Standard Choice Offer (SCO) - $0.5290/Ccf ($5.29/Mcf) in June 2026, equal to NYMEX $3.04/Mcf plus a $2.25/Mcf Retail Price Adjustment - or shop a CHOICE marketer, or self-supply under Transportation Service.
What is the difference between SGS/SGTS and GS/GTS rate classes?▾
Both are commercial delivery rate classes distinguished by annual volume. Small General Service (SGS/SGTS) applies below the volumetric breakpoint, and General Service (GS/GTS) applies above it. Columbia proposed raising that breakpoint from 300 Mcf/year to 600 Mcf/year. The 'T' variants apply to customers taking Transportation Service. Specific delivery charges are in PUCO Tariff No. 2.
Can a large industrial customer buy its own gas supply?▾
Yes. Through Transportation Service (TS), C&I customers - generally firm service above ~6,000 Mcf/year, with standby for smaller volumes - procure their own gas (directly or via a supplier) and submit daily nominations via the Aviator system, paying Columbia Gas only regulated delivery charges plus their supplier's commodity cost.
Does Columbia Gas of Ohio support ANSI X12 EDI for supplier data exchange?▾
No. Columbia Gas explicitly states it does not use ANSI X12 EDI; instead it uses a proprietary flat-file data-exchange format (Ohio Choice File Layout, Bill Message File Layout, etc.) over its encrypted File Exchange (EFTP) system, with gas nominations handled through the Aviator system.
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