EL PASO, Texas – July 11, 2006 -- Texas Gas Service customers will see slightly lower gas bills during the month of July. Customers' costs will be almost 5 percent less than they were in July 2005, based on an average residential consumption of 18 ccf (one hundred cubic feet). Gas costs in July 2006 are $.62436 per ccf, compared with $.65518 per ccf in July 2005.
"Customers can take advantage of the warmer weather and lower prices and start preparing for winter now," says Richard Fleager, vice president, Texas Gas Service, Western Region. "Enrolling in our average billing payment plan gives customers the certainty of predictable bills even when colder weather rolls around."
Texas Gas Service created the average billing plan, or ABC Plan, to help its customers budget their natural gas payments throughout the year. The initial ABC payment is calculated by averaging the customer's gas bill over the previous twelve months. It is reviewed twice a year to make needed adjustments upward or downward. The ABC plan makes billing predictable thereby simplifying the customer's budget. For additional information customers can call (915) 562-8411.
Texas Gas Service does not profit from the cost of gas. Texas Gas Service charges its customers the same price it pays for natural gas, making the cost of gas a true "pass-through" cost. Texas Gas Service changes the cost-of-gas factor each month to reflect current market conditions.
Texas Gas Service provides natural gas service to approximately 565,000 customers in the state of Texas, including customers in Austin, El Paso, the Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande Valley. Texas Gas Service is a division of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE), a diversified energy company. ONEOK is the general partner and owns 45.7 percent of ONEOK Partners, L.P. (NYSE: OKS), one of the largest publicly traded limited partnerships, which is a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas in the U.S. and owns one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting much of the natural gas and NGL supply in the mid-continent with key market centers. ONEOK is among the largest natural gas distributors in the United States, serving more than 2 million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Its energy services operation focuses primarily on marketing natural gas and related services throughout the U.S. ONEOK is a Fortune 500 company.
For more information, visit the Web sites at www.texasgasservice.com or www.oneok.com.
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