How to read your natural gas bill: A step-by-step guide

If you have natural gas, you also have natural gas bills. And if you don’t speak the 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 summarizes your natural gas usage history, shown in therms. You will see detailed information for "This Month" (the current billing period), "Last Month" (the previous billing period), and "This Month Last Year" (the corresponding billing period of the previous year).

Current Charges Breakdown

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

1. Rate Plan – Your plan type (fixed or variable), term length, and term expiration date. Fixed rates stay consistent through your contract term; variable rates can change monthly.
2. Natural Gas Consumption Charge – Your gas rate multiplied by the number of therms used this billing period.
3. Customer Service Charge – This fixed fee covers the cost of servicing and maintaining your account. It also allows us to provide excellent customer care if you have a question or concern!
4. 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. Remember, this charge is required and will appear on your natural gas bill regardless which natural gas marketer you choose.
5. DDDC (Dedicated Design Day Capacity) – The space reserved for you on the pipeline on the coldest day of the year. Your DDDC is used to calculate your AGL Pass-Through Charge.
6. Usage (CCF) – CCF is a measure of the volume of natural gas. This is usage registered by your meter during the current billing period, stated in cubic feet.
7. BTU Factor – Amount of heat energy in the gas. The number is multiplied by the amount of gas used (CCF) to calculate the actual energy supplied by the gas (therms).
8. Therms – What is a therm anyway? It's tThe heat energy in gas measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). The number is multiplied by the usage (CCF) to calculate your therms used. So, to put it simply, here’s the equation we use to calculate your consumption: Usage x BTU Factor = Therms.

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.

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, give us a call at 877.467.2262 or fill out our contact form. Already have what you need? You can view all rates and sign up online.