Home gas bills likely to drop

A typical residential customer of Cincinnati Gas & Electric will see about a 7 percent decline in the monthly gas bill starting Wednesday. The unit of Cinergy Corp. said the monthly gas bill for a customer using 10,800 cubic feet of gas in September will decline to $107.75 from $115.51 in September last year. The same customer paid $114.54 this month. The typical residential customer of Union Light Heat & Power in Northern Kentucky will see a slight increase starting Wednesday to $111.20, up from $105.44 a year ago. That customer is paying $117.57 this month, the utility said. Cinergy passes through the cost of gas it supplies on a dollar-for-dollar basis with adjustments.

Cable maker says strike won't hurt

General Cable Corp., the Highland Heights-based maker of aluminum, copper and fiber-optic cable, Monday said it still expects to report third-quarter earnings of at least 13 cents a share despite a strike at one of its plants. Local 2155, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents 187 workers at the company's Bonham, Texas, plant went on strike Monday. While a protracted strike would affect General Cable's financial results, the company said improving performance should allow it to offset the negative impact of the strike. The company's shares closed Monday at $9.96, down 24 cents.