EXHIBIT 12 CASCADE NATURAL GAS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS Twelve Months Ended --------------------------------------------------------- 3/31/98 9/30/97 9/30/96 12/31/95 12/31/94 12/31/93 --------- ------- ------- -------- -------- -------- (unaudited) (dollars in thousands) Fixed charges, as defined: Interest expense $ 9,814 $ 9,436 10,101 9,938 8,090 7,038 Amortization of debt issuance expense 615 612 612 606 593 562 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Total fixed charges $10,429 $10,048 10,713 10,544 8,683 7,600 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Earnings, as defined: Net earnings $8,631 $10,627 8,211 7,732 5,760 9,103 Add (deduct): Income taxes 5,551 6,263 4,272 4,508 3,505 5,224 Cumulative effect of change in accounting method - - - - - (209) Fixed charges 10,429 10,048 10,713 10,544 8,683 7,600 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Total earnings $24,611 $26,938 23,196 22,784 17,948 21,718 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges 2.36 2.68 2.17 2.16 2.07 2.86 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Fixed charges and preferred dividend requirements: Fixed charges $10,429 $10,048 10,713 10,544 8,683 7,600 Preferred dividend requirements 789 811 819 853 898 913 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Total $11,218 $10,859 11,532 11,397 9,581 8,513 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred dividend requirements 2.19 2.48 2.01 2.00 1.87 2.55 ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- ----- ------- ------- ------ ------ ----- -----