May 1—The cost of natural gas is going down for customers of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.

The natural gas utility has submitted its quarterly adjustment to gas supply charges to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), which is effective today.

It lowers the bill of a typical residential customer who uses 99,000 cubic feet of gas annually by $2.71 a month. The average monthly bill will drop from $67.27 to $64.56, a decline of about 4 percent.

The drop mainly is due to lower market prices for natural gas, according to National Fuel.

The gas supply charge is the price that National Fuel pays for natural gas.

PUC regulations allow the company to adjust the charge — up or down — every three months to reflect changes in the price of natural gas. However, commission regulations also require any adjustment be passed along to customers on a dollar for dollar basis.

The PUC allows National Fuel to adjust its purchased gas cost rate in February, May, August and November.

National Fuel's price-to-compare gas commodity charge also will decrease to $0.29153 per 100 cubic feet. The reference point, detailed on the National Fuel bill under Gas Supply Charges, is important for customers who shop for an alternate gas supplier.