UTILITIES

“We’re happy to provide savings at a time when many customers have faced higher bills due to December and January’s bitter cold weather,” said Dan Creekmur, Columbia’s president, in a statement.

The average projected total bill for March, including taxes and fees, would be $93.78 for a household, which is down from $126.26 in February. Most of the expected decrease is because warmer weather will lead to a drop in gas use, but about $5 of the shift is because of the change in market prices.

Columbia’s standard price shifts each month based on market prices, and it is not unusual to see big changes.

Looking at the long-term trend, market prices have been on the low side for years, which has translated to low heating costs for Columbia customers.

Meanwhile, the company is proposing to trim a monthly charge that otherwise was likely to increase, one that covers the costs of replacing old equipment. Columbia said on Thursday that it wants the charge, effective in May, to be $8.91 per month for a household, which is down 5 cents from the current level and down $1.29 from what Columbia had requested a few months ago.

The equipment program cost $207 million last year throughout Columbia’s territory.

Columbia says it has withdrawn the request for a fee increase, in part because of the recent reduction in the federal corporate tax. As a regulated utility, Columbia’s customers pay the company’s tax bill, and tax savings are expected to lead to a reduction in rates.

“Because we had an open docket and an open case ... we were able to pass it on to the customers immediately,” said Vince Parisi, Columbia’s vice president for finance and regulatory affairs.

The proposed change in the equipment charge, which needs to be approved by state utility regulators, is just one part of that savings, the company says.