The power of the people is enormous. People's voices have changed the way companies do business.

Voices have changed the way governments do business. Voices have rewritten laws, and changed the way of life for many. Think of the various dictators who have been overthrown. When the people speak, things change, ask some of the defeated incumbent politicians.

When some entity needlessly, and perhaps fraudulently, takes our money it is time for us to speak out.

Columbia Gas Co. has arbitrarily, and unilaterally, increased the cost of natural gas. At a time when the cost of natural gas is at an all-time low, Columbia Gas has decided to change the billing of natural gas from the historically used cost per volume to a factor called a therm. This therm is based on the Btu value of the natural gas. The universally used value of the Btu in natural gas is 1,000 btus per standard cubic foot. The actual Btu value depends on many factors.

The main constituent in natural gas is methane. Now it is not too difficult to determine the btu value of methane. But natural gas and particularly residential natural gas has other additives that tend to dilute the Btu value of the gas that ends up in furnaces, clothes dryers, hot water heaters, etc.

Now Columbia Gas tells us they can determine the Btu value of their gas correct to four decimal places. (.0000). That's a lot of gas and it's natural.

An AP article in the paper recently said, "Drillers cut natural-gas production as prices drop." Throughout the article the unit of natural is the volume, Mcf, or thousand cubic feet. The storage, and distribution costs are always based on volume. So unless you are measuring the Btu value of the gas at the point of usage, any value that is used is arbitrary.

And I think that in Columbia Gas' case, it is being solely used for the increased compensation it will bring to the company.

Pete Kelley