Information

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) issued regulations covering customer service matters.  Issuance of an easy to understand pamphlet that explains the customers rights and responsibilities with regard to gas service is one of the requirements.  While the pamphlet covers areas of consumer rights and responsibilities, additional information can be obtained from one of our local offices.  If you have a question about your gas service, just write or stop in at our nearest office.  We want to help.

If you wish to obtain gas service, please apply to our local office in person or by phone.

Our service facilities are designed to handle your normal gas energy requirements.  Before you add major gas equipment to your existing load we suggest you let us know your plans.  No service for resale is available under any company schedule on file with the commission.

There is no charge for making new service connections if Community’s cost of installation is less than the estimated margin from your gas use over a six year period and service line is less than 175 feet.

In cities and towns presently served by the company, mains, service lines, meters and regulators will be installed by the company to the nearest available outside wall of the building at which point the meter will be installed.  For service connections from higher pressure distribution mains, the company will also provide a line tap and regulator.

Service to mobile homes will be provided only under the following conditions:

  1. Mobile homes located in permanent trailer park wherein gas mains have been installed in utility easements or public thoroughfare. Before service line is connected to mobile home, said home must be rendered immovable by raising it with adequate supports or foundation so that none of the wheels touch the ground.
  2. Mobile home, if located on private lot owned by local homeowner and is converted to a permanent home by removing wheels therefrom and locating the home on permanent foundation.

The customer shall give easement necessary to the company for company’s pipes and apparatus across and on the property, owned or controlled by the customer, necessary to the furnishing of service and shall permit access thereto by the company’s employees at all times for the purpose of reading, inspecting, repairing or replacing meter or meters or other equipment used in connection with the service and for the removing of same upon discontinuance of service.  Service pipes, meters and regulators will at all times remain subject to the control of the company and will be kept in repair by the company at its own expense, but any alteration necessary, such as change of location or enlargements of service, must be done at the customer’s expense.

Pipes and equipment, at and from the outlet side of the meter, must be installed and maintained by and at the expense of the customer.  Such piping shall be constructed and maintained, subject to the approval of an authorized inspector and in conformity with any ordinance of governmental authorities.  The company shall be under no duty to inspect the piping and equipment of the customer, but is willing to assist the customer by advice.  The company may refuse to make connection or to commence or continue service whenever installation is not in proper condition.

A deposit will be required before service is established unless creditworthiness can be established.  An applicant will need to obtain a letter of credit from a former utility.  If service is desired before the letter can be obtained the applicant will be asked to make a deposit.  If and when a good credit report from the before mentioned utility is received the deposit will be refunded.  If the applicant has been a customer of Community Natural Gas in their last location then our records can be checked without delay and applicant will be told if deposit is required.

A deposit will be required from a present customer whose service gas has been disconnected for nonpayment.

The amount of such deposit may not exceed an amount equal to one-third of the expected annual billings for the customer at the address which service is rendered.  If the amount of the deposit is more than $70, a new customer may pay $70 prior to service and then pay the remaining amount within 8 weeks after signing a payment plan.  Any customer that has been disconnected for nonpayment must pay full deposit before service will be reconnected.

At the end of eleven months, if good credit has been established, the deposit will be refunded to the customer.  Deposits earn interest when held more than one year.  Deposits returned before one year has expired do not earn interest.

You will be sent a bill for your gas service each month.  The bill will be based on the number of THERMS used during the previous month.  A therm is 100,000 BTU.  The bill will be sent at about the same time each month and will be due during the same general period of the month.  If your bill does not arrive within a reasonable length of time, please call our office and let us know.  The bill shall be rendered as a net bill.  If the net bill is not paid within seventeen (17) days after the bill is mailed, it shall become a delinquent bill and a late payment charge will be added in the amount of 10% of the first $ 3.00 and 3% of the excess over $ 3.00.

Each bill will contain the following information:

  1.  The date of the meter reading at the beginning and the date of the meter   reading at the end of the period for which the bill is being rendered.
  2.  The number and kind of units of service supplied.
  3.  The billing rate code.
  4.  Previous balance, if any.
  5.  The amount of the bill for gas used
  6.  Sales tax, if applicable
  7.  The amount of the bill including sales tax.
  8.  Total amount of the bill including the late payment charge.
  9.  The date on which the bill becomes delinquent, and on which the late   payment charge will be added to the bill.
  10.  If the bill is estimated, a clear conspicuous coding will identify the same


If you would like a copy of our rate schedule and terms and conditions of service, please visit our website.

Despite every effort to read your meter each month, sometimes we are unable to do so because of the extreme weather conditions, emergencies and other circumstances.  In order to be able to send you a monthly bill, we will estimate the volume of gas used during the period based on your previous usage.  If your reading is estimated, the bill will be coded as such.  If your actual use is higher or lower than our estimated amount, the difference will be reflected in the first bill rendered after your meter is read.

Our budget plan, which allows residential customers to level out seasonal variations in their gas bills, is available upon request.  The payment is based on your actual use of gas during the past year divided by eleven.  You pay this amount each month instead of the actual metered amount.  In the month of May, if actual gas usage has been less than estimated, we will apply any overpayment you have paid to future billings.  If actual usage has been larger than estimated, we will bill you for the underpayment. Actual metered gas will appear on each monthly bill so that you may compare it against the estimated use.  Reviews are made periodically and an adjustment may be made in your payment according to your actual use.

Gas meters are thoroughly tested, inspected and adjusted for accuracy as required by the IURC.  Meters can only remain in service if they meet rigid standards for accuracy.  Although gas meters are very reliable instruments, you may occasionally have doubts about its accuracy.  If you believe that your meter is inaccurate, please write to us and we will test it without charge.  After a twelve (12) month period you may request another test.  However, if no error is found, you will be required to pay the full cost of any subsequent test requested at less than thirty-six (36) month intervals.

You may also ask the IURC for a meter test.  The commission shall declare and establish reasonable fees to be paid for testing on the request of the consumer.  If the meter is found unreasonably defective or incorrect to the disadvantage of the consumer, the company will refund the fee to the consumer.

At your request:

If you would like your service shut off, you should notify us at least three (3) working days ahead of time.  You are responsible for gas use and payment for this use until the service has been shut off.  We will disconnect your service within three (3) working days of your request and you will not be responsible for any gas used after three (3) working days.

Without customer request:

We may not disconnect gas service from December 1 through March 15 if customer is receiving or is eligible for the Energy Assistance Program.

We may disconnect gas service without request or advance notice under the following conditions:

  1.  If a condition dangerous or hazardous to life, physical safety or property   exists.
  2.  Upon order by any court, Commission or any other duly authorized public   authority.
  3.  If fraudulent or unauthorized gas is detected and the company has   reasonable grounds to believe the affected customer is responsible for   such use.
  4.  If the company’s regulating or measuring equipment has been tampered   with and company has reasonable grounds to believe that the affected   customer is responsible for such tampering.


We may disconnect gas service in other instances only by providing proper notification.

When we are required to give prior notice of service disconnection because of delinquent bill; two (2) ten day postponements can be received if separate statements from a doctor or public health official indicating that disconnection of gas would impose a threat to the health or safety of the person in the household.

We will not disconnect service under the following conditions:

  1.  Failure to pay for merchandise or appliances purchased from us.
  2.  Failure to pay for service at a different location which has remained unpaid   for less than forty-five days.
  3.  Failure to pay for service to a previous occupant of premised served unless   we have good reason to believe customer is attempting to defraud us by   using another name.
  4.  Failure to pay a bill for a different for or class of gas service.
  5.  If cause is shown or an inability to pay the full amount (financial hardship   will be considered sufficient cause) and the customer agrees to (a) pay a   reasonable portion of the bill ($ 25.00 or 10 % of the bill, whichever is less,   unless a larger amount is mutually agreed upon.) (b) pay the remainder of   the outstanding bill within three (3) months; (c) pay undisputed future bills   for the term of the agreement as they become due; and (d) has not   breached any similar agreement with us pursuant to this rule within the   past twelve months.

We may add one late payment charge to the amount owed and the agreement must be in writing and signed by the customer and a representative of our company.  If any part of the payment agreement is broken, gas service will be subject to immediate disconnection without further notice.  A payment agreement will also be made available in case of an inability to pay a bill which is unusually large because of previously estimated billing, misapplication of IURC rules and regulations or human error, except the late charge will not be added to the payment agreement.

Gas service will not be disconnected for non-payment of a bill or a violation of any rule or regulation without fourteen (14) days advance written notice.  Final notice will state the earliest date of any reason for the proposed disconnection.  The notification will also contain our telephone number.  The notice will not be sent before the account becomes delinquent.

Company representatives sent to shut off service will make a reasonable attempt to identify themselves and tell someone at the residence that gas service is being shut off.  Our representative will have enough information to give reason for disconnection and the amount of any delinquent bill and will ask for any available proof that the delinquent bill has been taken care of or is currently in dispute pursuant to IURC review.  If proof of either of the above is presented, service will not be shut off.

If gas is shut off and a customer is not at home, our representative will leave a notice that service has been disconnected, giving the location and telephone number of the office where arrangements can be made to restore service.  Without proper notice, we will only disconnect service for nonpayment between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:00 pm prevailing time.  Also we will not disconnect service for nonpayment after 12:00 noon of the day immediately preceding any day when our office will be closed.

If gas service has been disconnected for non-payment, the following will be required before service will be turned back on:

  1.  Payment or arrangement to pay all delinquent bills.
  2.  Any required service deposit.
  3.  A reconnection charge.


We will restore service within one (1) working day after all obligations for the reconnection are made.

You may register a complaint and request a conference about any matter pertaining to your gas service, including a security deposit, disconnect notice or your bill before it becomes delinquent.  The complaint may be in person at one of our offices, or in writing either by letter or completing a form available from us or from the IURC.

We will promptly and thoroughly investigate your complaint, confer with you on request and notify you in writing of our proposed disposition of the matter.

Any customer not satisfied with the way that we plan to handle a complaint may make a complaint to the IURC.  The IURC requires that this request be made within seven (7) days after receiving notice of our plan to handle the complaint, and that a copy of this request be sent to Community Natural Gas Co., Inc.

Service will not be disconnected until at least three (3) days after the IURC has mailed its written decision, provided the customer continues to pay all undisputed bills prior to their becoming delinquent.  An online complaint form is available on the IURC website or by calling 1 800 851-4268.

Please contact us if we can ever be of help in answering questions about your account or your natural gas service.

 

OWENSVILLE                   116 N Main St.
                                          PO Box 459
                                          Owensville, IN 47665
                                          (812) 729-7905

 

DALE/CARLISLE               303 N Washington St.
                                          PO Box 320
                                          Dale, IN 47523
                                          (812) 937-2376

 

SPENCER                          870 W Hillside Ave
                                          P.O. Box 615
                                          Spencer, IN 47460
                                          (812) 829-3505

 

ADMINISTRATIVE           933 W Third St.
                                         Mt. Carmel, IL 62863
                                         (618) 263-3328

 

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