ONG offers to pay some of next month's energy bills for area schools

Oklahoma Natural Gas is helping schools. It's offering to pay some of the schools' February gas bills. <br><br>The company received one and a half million dollars from a lawsuit in Kansas. Now

Wednesday, January 15th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma Natural Gas is helping schools. It's offering to pay some of the schools' February gas bills.

The company received one and a half million dollars from a lawsuit in Kansas. Now it's asked the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for permission to use the money to help the schools, instead of giving it to customers.

A member of the commission, Denise Bode, "if there is an opportunity to make this kind of decision on an expedited basis as well and we do determine and vote to provide it for the schools that we get the biggest bang for our buck."

If the plan is approved, ONG estimates Tulsa Public schools could save as much as $200,000, Broken Arrow more than $32,000 and Union about $24,000.

The credit to the schools' bills would be based on the actual amount of natural gas used by each district.