Beers Plumbing Heating & Cooling has acquired McAleer Plumbing Heating & Cooling. Effective immediately, the combined companies will operate under the new name Beers — McAleer Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

This strategic acquisition brings together two long-standing, trusted providers in the plumbing, heating and cooling industry, both known for delivering quality workmanship and dependable customer service to homes and businesses throughout the region.

The newly combined company will continue to offer a full range of plumbing, heating, and cooling services, ensuring that residential and commercial customers alike benefit from a larger team of skilled professionals and expanded capabilities.

Peoples rate increases

Customers of Peoples Natural Gas will pay more for their gas.

Effective today, Oct. 1, the quarterly adjusted gas cost commodity rate will increase from $4.09 per thousand cubic feet to $5.28 per mcf.

With the increase, a residential customer who uses 80,000 cubic feet per year, or 6.7 mcf per month, will see a monthly bill increase of about $5, said Carol Scanlon, Peoples manager of rates.

The commodity gas cost is a straight dollar-for-dollar pass through from Peoples to the customers, thus Peoples does not profit from the gas cost commodity rate, Scanlon said.