Summit Natural Gas is dedicated to providing reliable and safe natural gas access to communities across Maine, with an unwavering commitment to customer service, safety, innovation, and integrity.

At Summit, we provide safe and reliable natural gas to thousands of Mainers for home heating, hot water, cooking, and more. To do that, we must operate, maintain, and continuously improve and invest in more than 300 miles of pipeline to provide the quality service you’ve come to expect from your local natural gas utility company. These are the important services that are paid for through our rates.

Summit’s existing rate plan, which was established in 2013 when Summit first began serving communities in Maine, is expiring; however, the cost to operate our system is exceeding what we are collecting in rates. When the cost of operating and maintaining our system surpasses what customers are paying in rates, we must request a change in our rates from the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC), in the form of a rate case.

At Summit, we work hard to keep our rates low while continuing to invest in our infrastructure and expanding natural gas services to new communities. The revenue from our rates goes toward:

• Efficient response times to customer service calls so we can get questions answered quickly and thoroughly.
• 24-hour, seven days per week, and 365 days per year dispatch and emergency response.
• Investments in new, smart technologies to monitor, inspect and protect the integrity of our pipeline system so gas is delivered safely and reliably to our customers.

• Educational programs to train contractors, customers, communities, public safety officials, and first responders to help prevent damage to our underground pipes and protect those who live and work near them.
• Employees live and work in the communities we serve so they can report to local offices and quickly respond to service calls, continually monitor our pipeline system, detect leaks, and make needed repairs so we can get gas to you when you need it.

Summit has always taken great pride in our exceptional customer service, the focus we place on safety and maintenance, growth, and expansion, and finally, stable rates for those needing gas supply. While the new rate plan will increase rates for our Maine customers, it is paramount to Summit that we remain competitive and cost-effective throughout our service territory. We worked with the parties in the MPUC proceeding (including the Public Advocate) to establish fair rates through which we will continue to provide safe, reliable service to businesses, hospitals, government buildings, and residential homes. We will also continue to focus on environmental innovation and growth as this rate plan takes effect, as this ensures a healthy and low-cost ecosystem for all customers and businesses in Maine.

NEW RATES APPROVED BY THE MAINE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2023

We understand that any adjustment in rates can impact our customers, which is why we are implementing a gradual rate adjustment over the coming years, to limit the overall impact on customer bills at one time. Under the new rate plan, the monthly increases to Summit’s delivery rates (the Distribution Charge and Service and Facility Charge) vary for different customer classes, as shown in this table.