News Story

Citizens Energy Group delivered a record amount of natural gas to its customers during the extraordinarily cold weather from Tuesday through Thursday this week. On Thursday, the utility established a new one-day record for gas deliveries, eclipsing the previous single-day record set on January 1, 2018.

“Citizens met the needs of its customers during this record cold snap thanks to careful supply planning and the daily dedication of our employees,” said Jeffrey Harrison, Citizens Energy Group President & CEO.

Multiple suppliers and Citizens’ extensive natural gas storage capacity help ensure the utility has the natural gas its customers need during periods of peak demand. In addition, more than $650 million of system investments made over the past 30 years have made Citizens’ natural gas system one of the safest and most reliable urban gas utilities in the nation. The safety and integrity of the Citizens natural gas system is confirmed by an ongoing study by the Environmental Defense Fund and Google Maps, which found minimal leaks on the Indianapolis system compared to other cities across the U.S. The study can be found here.

Although the increased consumption from the cold snap may impact customers’ bill, the average annual residential gas bill in Indianapolis has declined more than 40 percent since 2009, or about $500.

“Citizens has been able to enter into long-term supply contracts that have helped us leverage falling natural gas prices to deliver significant savings to our customers,” said Harrison.

In addition to meeting the demands of customers as a primary heat source, Citizens is also meeting increasing demands for natural gas from Indianapolis Power & Light, which recently converted its second-largest electric generation plant, Harding Generating Station, from coal to natural gas.