SOUTH JERSEY GAS FILES TO REDUCE RATES FOR A THIRD YEAR

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FOLSOM, N.J., June 1, 2017 – South Jersey Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, Inc. (NYSE: SJI), today filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to change two components of the company’s rates that would deliver overall savings to residential customers of $0.80, or 0.6 percent, on their monthly natural gas bills.
 
“Lower-priced natural gas from nearby Marcellus Shale producers and effective management of our gas portfolio enables us to provide a rate reduction for customers for the third year in a row,” said Dave Robbins, president of South Jersey Gas.
 
This year’s annual Basic Gas Supply Service (BGSS) petition proposes a decrease of approximately $1.35 to an average 100-therm monthly residential bill. Lower wholesale gas prices drove the reduction in rates. This rate reduction complements $18 million of BGSS bill credits given to customers in 2017, which resulted in the average residential customer receiving credits of $51 on their winter natural gas bills. 
 
While South Jersey Gas does not profit from the actual natural gas commodity used by customers, the BGSS clause enables the utility to annually adjust customer charges in direct response to decreases or increases in gas costs, as needed.
 
The company also filed its annual Conservation Incentive Program (CIP) petition, proposing an increase of approximately $0.55 to an average 100-therm monthly residential bill. The CIP program encourages customers to use natural gas more efficiently, reduce consumption and also adjusts customer bills to account for weather-related changes in usage. South Jersey Gas customers continue to reduce their energy consumption through implementation of energy efficiency measures. This change to the CIP rate reflects the warmer than normal weather experienced this past winter. 
 
Since the CIP was instituted in 2006, customers have reduced their natural gas use by 69 billion cubic feet and have saved $693 million in energy costs. 

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