NStar Gas says it’s proposing the lowest heating price in 10 years

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

NStar Gas said Tuesday that it has submitted a new supply rate that has the potential for lowering natural gas heating bills for residential customers by about $15 a month when compared with prices from a year ago.

NStar’s proposal requires regulatory approval. NStar added that it is hoping that its request will be approved so the new rate would go into effect Nov. 1.

According to NStar, its proposed new rate would bill customers 57.32 cents per therm, down 18 percent from last year’s price of about 70 cents.

NStar says its residential heating customers typically use an average of 131 therms of gas a month between November and May; that amount also often includes gas use for cooking and water-heating. Under the new rate, those customers will pay $145.60 a month, down from $161.25 one year ago, NStar said.

NStar is an electric-and-gas utility with customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts. NStar said it has 300,000 gas customers and more than 1 million electric customers.