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What to expect from your natural gas bill
Moving to a new home that uses natural gas for the first time? While part of your bill is from how much natural gas you’re burning, there are additional factors at play.
Five things to look for on your natural gas bill:
1. Fixed Charges
There are certain charges that remain constant from month-to-month – like the Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Pass-Through Charge, which includes services for maintaining pipelines, delivering gas to your home, and reading meters.
2. Usage
This is the obvious one. The more natural gas you burn, the higher your bill will be, regardless of other factors. We have plenty of resources to help you manage your usage and save on natural gas, from winterizing your home to adjusting your natural gas water heater settings. Try out tips from our Help Center to start saving right away.
3. Price-per-therm
A “therm” is simply the unit of measure for natural gas consumption. Georgia natural gas prices are typically quoted in cents per therm.
4. Late fees
While there are limits to late fees, these can certainly add up over time. The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) states that a late fee “shall not exceed $10 or 1.5% of the past due balance, whichever is greater.” The PSC also restricts natural gas marketers from applying any late fee to bills less than $30. But, depending on how much of an unpaid gas bill payment or overdue balance you’re carrying, these can significantly impact your bill.
5. Billing Options
The best way to avoid being surprised by a high natural gas bill is to enroll in a “ budget billing” program. With budget billing, your natural gas costs stay the same each month for a year. If you’re eligible, your provider will average your 12 previous monthly bills and estimate the costs of energy for the next 12 months, then divide your predicted energy use into equal monthly payments. Instead of big natural gas bills in the winter, you can spread those expenses across the whole year and be much friendlier to your budget.
Lower your gas bill today with SCANA Energy.
If you’re a SCANA Energy customer, learn more about enrolling in our budget billing program. If you’re not a SCANA Energy customer, make the switch today.