How to Read Your Natural Gas Bill: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you have a natural gas company, you have energy bills. And if you don’t speak the natural gas billing language, it can be a little overwhelming. Lucky for you, natural gas is our first language.

So, we’ve broken it down for you to make bill reading a snap.

Account Summary 

This section is all about money, so it’s probably where you look first. You’ll find confirmation that you paid your last bill, the current amount owed and when payment is due. You’ll also see any applicable bill credits here.

Calculating Gas Usage

This part requires a touch of math and answering the question “What is a therm?” Here are the factors that define your natural gas consumption:

• Current: The meter reading at the end of the current billing period
• Previous: The meter reading at the end of the previous billing period
• Usage: Calculated by subtracting your previous meter reading from your current one
• BTU Factor: British Thermal Units measure the amount of energy used to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit – so the energy required to produce heat.
• Therms: Units of heat energy equal to 100,000 BTU and the unit we use to measure the natural gas consumed

That’s a lot of info, so to put it simply, here’s the equation we use to calculate your consumption: Usage x BTU Factor = Therms

Current Charges Breakdown

Several different charges make up your total gas bill. “Tell me more about these different charges,” you say? You got it.

• Natural Gas Consumption: All the stuff we talked about in “Meter Readings” above? Yep – that equation gives you the number of therms used, which we multiply by your current rate plan (e.g., $0.56/therm).
• Customer Service Charge: This fixed fee covers the cost of servicing and maintaining your account. It also allows us to provide excellent customer support if you have a question or concern!
• AGL Pass-Through Charge: This is a charge that each marketer must collect on behalf of Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) for its services, such as gas delivery, meter readings and pipeline maintenance. To learn more about AGL’s role in the pipe-to-home equation, check out this infographic. Remember, regardless which natural gas marketer you select, this charge is required to be passed through to all customers.
• State and Local Taxes: Sales tax must be applied to your total bill. It’s the law.

Gas Usage History

Remember that time you used the fireplace non-stop for three months? Or the 50 barbecue parties you had in the backyard over the summer? So does your gas usage history. This chart shows your historical usage over the past 12 months and also compares the current month for this year and the year prior. This can be a helpful tool to use in pinpointing your activity during peak times of usage and how you can dial back to save on gas and keep extra money in your pocket. Here are 10 energy saving tips to get you started!

If you’re a SCANA Energy customer, you can learn more and see a sample bill here.

Our customer service team can help you determine the right rate plan for your needs, assist with service appointments and more. If you’d like to speak with someone, you can call us at 1-877-467-2262, fill out our online form or send us a message on our social channels.

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