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February 21, 2001
Naperville, Ill. – Nicor Gas has filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission a March 2001 Gas Supply Charge (GSC) of 70 cents per therm. This is the charge applied to gas usage during March. Natural gas costs on bills may differ from the natural gas cost reported here because a billing period usually spans more than one calendar month. The natural gas cost for any 30-day billing period is an average based on the number of days in each of those months. The GSC represents the commodity costs Nicor Gas incurs and passes on to its customers without markup.
"We're pleased that gas costs have come down this quickly compared to the past two months," said PhilCali, Executive Vice President of Operations. "But we realize these costs are still much higher than in recent years. We hope our new budget plan provides our customers a constructive way to help manage their higher bills".
Recently Nicor received approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission to implement a new, 12-month Budget Plan to help customers manage the effects of the high cost of natural gas this year. The new plan allows customers to sign up at any time during the year which increases the flexibility of Nicor's previous budget plan. Nicor Gas will begin soliciting eligible customers March 1.
Like other gas distribution companies, Nicor Gas passes on its gas cost purchases to customers without markup. Nicor Gas has several advantages compared to other gas distributors such as utilizing its underground storage facilities and benefiting from the direct connection to seven interstate gas pipelines delivering supplies from every major producing region in North America. These factors have historically helped keep its overall gas costs lower than most areas of the country.
Nicor Gas has created a special section of its Web site to provide customers with the current information on natural gas costs and interactive tools that can help manage higher home heating bills. The "Natural Gas Cost" site can be found at Nicor's home page, www.nicor.com.
Nicor Gas serves nearly two million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. The company has provided reliable natural gas services for more than 45 years.
Nicor (NYSE: GAS) is a holding company. Its principal businesses are Nicor Gas, one of the nation's largest gas distribution companies, and Tropical Shipping, a containerized shipping business that operates between Florida and the Caribbean. Nicor also owns several energy-related subsidiaries and is a partner in Nicor Energy, a provider of unregulated energy products and services. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicor.com. | 
