Northern Indiana Public Service Company recently announced that it is seeking a two year extension from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for the company’s current offering of alternative natural gas programs aimed at providing residential, commercial and industrial customers with options for purchasing energy.

Referred to as the alternative regulatory program, NIPSCO’s ARP is set to expire April 30, 2010. If approved, the request would extend the programs until April 30, 2012.

“We recognize the value that these programs provide to many of our customers,” Senior Vice President of Customer Engagement for NIPSCO, Guy Ausmus said. “For more than a decade, these popular programs have offered customers the opportunity to shop around for the natural gas they purchase, to lock-in rates and be assured that they are being supplied with safe and reliable natural gas service.”

Initially approved by the IURC in 1997 and most recently renewed in early 2006, NIPSCO’s ARP allows the utility’s natural gas customers the option to participate in their Choice Program, DependaBill Program and Price Protection Services.

The NIPSCO Choice Program gives customers an opportunity to choose from 12 approved alternative natural gas suppliers. While customers have the ability to purchase gas from an alternative supplier, NIPSCO is still responsible for safely delivering the purchased gas to a customer’s home or business through its existing pipeline system.

DependaBill provides a fixed monthly bill with no annual reconciliation while the PPS option allows customers to fix or cap their perunit cost of natural gas.

Information concerning these programs is available under the products and services section at nipsco.com.