premise: Understanding Your Gas Bill How can I get a duplicate bill or information on my latest bill The easiest way to view or print a copy of your most recent or past bill is to register or log on to My Account. You can receive, view and pay your bill -- all online. When you log on to My Account, go to View My Bill, then Bill History. There you can view and print out your account history -- up to 25 months. Just click on the bill you'd like to see. Try it now. Or, if you'd prefer, you can call our automated service line 24 hours a day, at 1-800-772-5050*. Note, requests made through our phone line will take approximately 3-5 working days to complete. Billing information can only be sent to the mailing address on record. CCF: Hundred of Cubic Feet: Method used for gas measurement. The quantity of gas at a temperature of sixty degrees Fahrenheit and a pressure of 14.73 pounds per square inch makes up one cubic foot. Billing Terms BTU: British Thermal Unit: One BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. A more practical definition would be: how much gas an appliance will use to produce heat or cooling. As a result, gas appliances are sized by a BTU rating. 100,000 BTU's equal 1 therm. For example, a 400,000 BTU heater, when in use, would use 4 therms of gas per hour. A 30,000 BTU range would use .3 therms per hour of use. Billing Factor: An adjuster used to convert CCF into therms. It adjusts the amount of gas used to reflect the heat value of the gas at a given altitude. The heating value can vary from month to month; therefore, the billing factor is not always the same. Therm: A therm is approximately 100,000 BTUs. It is a standard unit of measurement. CCFs are converted to therms for purposes of billing. Natural Gas Conversions 1 cubic foot = 1050 Btu Therm = 100,000 Btu Ccf = 100 cubic foot, or 1 therm Mcf = 1000 cubic feet = 10.20 therms MMcf = 1 million cubic feet Bcf = 1 billion cubic feet Decatherm (Dth) = 10 therms = 1 million Btu Mmbtu = 1 million btu = 10 therms About gas rates and how bills are calculated Natural gas rates are made up of two primary charges: Gas delivery service, which The Gas Company provides - the "delivery" (or "transmission") charge; and, The cost of the natural gas itself -- which is reflected in the "procurement" charge. Many people believe that The Gas Company produces natural gas, but we don't. For our residential and smaller business customers, we buy natural gas from producers and marketers at the best possible prices on the open market. The wholesale gas prices we pay are based on market supply and demand. They're not marked up by The Gas Company, and are shown on your monthly bill as the "commodity charge. " The Gas Company's delivery service charge covers the costs of transporting natural gas through our pipeline system. It is approved annually by the Public Utilities Commission and is not impacted by the price of natural gas. Monthly Gas rates vary based on monthly gas prices Since 1997, the cost of natural gas that customers pay in their rates is based on a forecasted monthly price instead of a forecasted annual price. This allows rates to more closely follow current natural gas market prices. With monthly pricing, gas rates are based upon a 30-day forecast of natural gas market prices. This gives customers a better picture of the current price of natural gas, and means they no longer have to wait for annual adjustments to their bills to make up for differences between the 12-month forecast price and the actual price paid by The Gas Company on a monthly basis. Does The Gas Company benefit from higher gas prices? We do not produce natural gas; energy production companies produce natural gas. The Gas Company just delivers natural gas to its customers. Baseline therm allowance As determined by the Public Utilities Commission, under the direction of the State Legislature, "baseline therm allowances" are the amounts of natural gas needed to meet the minimum basic needs of the average home. The Gas Company is required to bill these "baseline" amounts at its lowest residential rates. The goal of these "baseline" amounts is to encourage efficient use of natural gas. Charges on Your Bill from a Third Party For bill questions and charges on your gas bill from third-party vendors -- Commerce Energy (formerly ACN) 1-877-226-3649 HomeServe 1-888-302-0137
hypothesis: Since 1997, customers have not had to wait for annual adjustments.