The state Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved Hope Gas, Inc.’s acquisition of Consumers Gas Utility Co. Hope, based in Morgantown, and Consumers, based in Huntington, filed a joint request with the PSC on May 10 to permit Hope to acquire Consumers.
On Sept. 3, they filed a proposed order completing the deal.
Hope serves about 131,000 residential, commercial, wholesale, and industrial customers in 37 counties. Consumers serves about 8,500 customers in Cabell, Jackson, Putnam, Ritchie, Roane and Wayne Counties — an area also mostly served by Hope.
Consumers’ base rate is currently lower than Hope’s and the proposal stipulates that Consumers’ customers will continue to pay the lower rate until Hope’s next base-rate case filing.
Purchased gas costs are also included in customer bills, and Consumers’ customers will pay the lower of Consumers’ or Hope’s rate until Nov. 1, 2025 — the effective date of Hope’s 2025 Purchased Gas Adjustment filing.
Twenty-six Consumers employees will be offered work with Hope.
Hope has been growing through acquisition. Hope Gas acquired Peoples Gas WV in October 2023. The deal was valued at $37 million and brought 13,000 new customers to Hope. Starting Tuesday, all former Peoples Gas customers were to be fully transitioned to the Hope Gas systems for customer service, billing and online account management.
On December 1, 2023, Hope acquired Southern Public Service Company, which served 6,400 customers in southern West Virginia. And on On June 1 this year, Hope acquired Standard Gas Company, Bazzle Gas, McIntosh Oil & Gas and Ross & Wharton Gas, bringing in another 530 customers.
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