Understanding Your Ontario Natural Gas Bill

It is a good idea to understand the different components of your natural gas bill so that you can make the best decision for your supplier. Energy supply is just one component of your bill; you also have to pay for storage, transmission, and distribution, regardless of who supplies your energy. These amounts are regulated by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).

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Natural Gas

You will receive your electricity bill from your local utility, which is responsible for delivering your energy to you, regardless of whether or not you are on a contract with an energy marketer.

Components of your bill

Your bill should contain the following information:

Account number: this is the number of your account. You will need to have this on hand when you contact your utility or energy supplier, or if you are paying your bill online or over the phone.

Meter number: you can find your meter number on the face of your gas meter. It is a unique number assigned to your meter for monitoring and billing

Service address: the address of the meter being charged for gas consumption

Statement date: the date when your bill was generated and/or mailed to you

Amount due: the amount that you have to pay for your gas use

Due date: the date when you must pay your bill (for Enbridge and Union Gas, this is 20 days after the billing date). Utilities charge a monthly 1.5% Late Payment fee (19.56/year).

Billing summary: a summary of what you owe, taking into account past payment history

Charges: here you will find a breakdown of the cost of the energy you used in the past month. These charges include:

• Gas used: this is based on your consumption amount and the rate that you pay per m3. If an energy marketer provides your supply, it will appear as a separate item on your bill under your charges. If your supplier is your utility, the rate is approved by the OEB. You will also find the name and phone number of your energy supplier, whether it is your utility or an energy marketer.
• Gas cost(price) adjustment: this takes into account any differences in prices paid by consumers to the utility and the actual costs incurred by the utility (for natural gas supply, transportation, etc). This is approved by the OEB and may be an additional charge or a credit.
• Transportation to utility: this is the cost to transport natural gas from where it was produced to the distribution system of your local utility
• Transportation to you: the cost to deliver natural gas from the local utility distribution system to your home
• Customer charge: this charge covers the utility's administration and maintenance costs and is a fixed amount billed to all accounts, every month, with or without gas consumption

HST: the total of your bill is subject to HST

How will my bill change if I choose an energy marketer for my supply?

Most of the time you will continue to receive your bill from your local utility, who will remain responsible for the delivery of your electricity. Most of your bill will remain unchanged; the main changes that you will see to your bill will appear under your gas supply charges. These include:

• The name and phone number of your energy supplier
• The rate that you pay for your natural gas, as set out in your contract

 

 

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