                                ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, April 4, 1997                  TAG: 9704040078
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-8  EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: INDICATORS 
SOURCE: MAG POFF

INDICATORS

Last month's decline in natural gas consumption was "purely weather-driven," said John Williamson, vice president of Roanoke Gas Co. Unlike the change in residential demand, industrial use continued steady, he said. Williamson said the normal number of heating degree days in March is 580, compiled by counting the accumulated total degrees from 65 degrees over the month. In March, he said, the utility experienced only 467 heating degrees days, so it was 19 percent warmer than normal.

LENGTH: Short :   22 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  Color chart.

by CNB