It served 560,000 electric customers and 1.06 million natural gas customers in three states.

The company said it was unable to reduce prices for its 10m gas customers, despite having raised them by 18pc, or £121, last year.

The cost would ultimately be borne by gas customers, he said.

It has also lost its biggest water and gas customer.

Lilco officials say that, without those additional supplies, they may soon have to turn away potential gas customers during the winter.

And the list of tear gas customers is a long shot.

The situation is more complex for natural gas customers.

Of the 450,000 gas customers, 286,000 heat with gas, she said.

For gas customers, the figure is less than 20 percent.

The number of gas customers expanded rapidly with Roanoke's growth in the 1910s and 1920s.