By Ken Alltucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A typical household in Southwest Ohio will see a 35 percent surge in its natural gas bills next month, Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. said Wednesday.

The average household using 10,800 cubic feet of gas will pay a bill of $110.22, compared with the average bill of $81.46 in December 2002.

CG&E is making the adjustment, which comes at the start of the coldest part of the heating season, to reflect the higher cost of wholesale gas. The move only applies to CG&E customers and not those of other Cinergy subsidiaries, since the utility hasn't yet asked regulators in Kentucky or Indiana for permission to adjust costs monthly.

About 70 percent of Tristate homes are heated with natural gas.

CG&E's recovery rate for natural gas will rise in December to 72.5 cents per 100 cubic feet, or 51.6 percent above the 47.8 cents per 100 cubic feet a year ago.

The December rate is slightly lower than the November rate.

Wholesale gas prices escalated in the summer, when the amount of gas in storage hit historically low levels. But stored gas supplies have grown - suggesting utilities won't need to buy as much during winter.

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com