Unitil and MA Attorney General File Rate Settlement Agreement
Hampton, NH (December 4, 2006): Unitil Corporation (AMEX:UTL) announced that its Massachusetts utility
operating subsidiary, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company d/b/a Unitil, and the Attorney General of
Massachusetts filed a rate Settlement Agreement (Settlement) for the Company's gas division with the Massachusetts
Department of Telecommunications and Energy (MDTE). The Settlement was filed with the MDTE for review and approval
on November 29, 2006.
If approved by the MDTE, the Settlement will replace a request for a gas distribution rate increase that
Unitil had been preparing to file and will avoid the significant costs of conducting a general rate case
before the MDTE. The Settlement calls for the phase-in of gas distribution rate changes with an initial
rate increase of $1.2 million as of February 1, 2007, and an additional $1.0 million increase on
November 1, 2007. The Settlement also includes agreement on several other rate matters and service
quality performance measures for the company's gas division in the areas of safety, customer service
and satisfaction.
"The Settlement reflects a lot of hard work and good faith negotiations between Unitil and the Attorney
General's office, and achieves a reasonable balance between our need for revenues that support our gas
operations and investments and our obligation to our customers to provide safe, reliable natural gas service
at fair and reasonable rates," said Robert G. Schoenberger, chairman and chief executive officer of Unitil.
Under the Settlement, a natural gas bill for a typical residential heating customer using 150 therms per month
will increase from $264.40 to $272.50 or 3.1% as of February 1, 2007 and additional 2.5% on November 1, 2007.
Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company with subsidiaries providing electric service in New
Hampshire, electric and gas service in Massachusetts and energy services throughout the northeast.
Contact
George Gantz
gantz@unitil.comCorporate Office
Liberty Lane West
Hampton, NH 03842-1720
800/999-6501