Why Was My Gas Cut?

While gas supply is fairly reliable, it is possible that you might find it cut under certain conditions.

You Have Recently Moved

It is possible, particularly if your new home was unoccupied for an extended period of time, that natural gas service was disconnected before you moved in. In order to request a service reconnect, you will need to first enroll with an energy retailer. When you sign up with a retailer, ask them to transfer you directly to your natural gas distribution company so that you can approve of the next steps for getting natural gas service back. Both ATCO Gas and AltaGas Utilities charge a reconnection fee, and you will have to agree to pay this fee before service can be reconnected. You may also need to arrange for a qualified professional to inspect the piping in your home and obtain a permit. If this is the case you will not be able to have your service reconnected until you obtain this permit.

Non-Payment

If your gas has been disconnected and you have been left with a pink card ("Notice of Disconnected Gas Service") or green card ("Retailer’s Important Notice") on your doorstep, your retailer has not received payment from you and has asked your natural gas utility to disconnect service. You will need to call your energy retailer (whose contact information should be on the card) in order to find out how to have your service reconnected. If you are in financial difficulties, you may be able to make payment arrangements with your energy retailer.

In general, you should contact your energy retailer as soon as possible if you think you will have difficulty making your monthly bill. Energy retailers leave disconnection as a last resort after several attempts to receive payment, and are often able to make special payment arrangements to avoid it. When your gas is disconnected you will have to pay reconnection fees to your natural gas distribution company as well as to your energy retailer, which can make your bill rise dramatically.

If possible, you should always pay your monthly bills, even if you are in dispute with your energy retailer. Withholding payment may lead your retailer to pursue collection action, or disconnection. Both options wll result in higher costs for you in order to have your supply reconnected.

Problem With the Distribution Network

While fairly unlikely, it is possible that your natural gas supply has been interrupted due to a problem with the network or for safety reasons. If you notice that your neighbours are also without gas supply there may be a problem with the gas distribution network in your area. If this is the case, contact your natural gas utility as soon as possible to notify them and find out any necessary safety precautions.

Your natural gas utility may temporarily disconnect service in your area to perform maintenance, construction, or upgrades. They will notify you in advance of any interruptions to your service.

Temporary Gas Cuts for Renovations

If you have had your gas supply temporarily disconnected for renovation, you will need to contact your energy retailer in order to get re-energized. Ask them to transfer you directly to your natural gas utility so that you can authorize reconnection. You may need to pay a reconnection fee, depending on how long your service has been disconnected.

How Long Does Reconnection Take?

Even though you need to go through your retailer to have your gas reconnected, it is your gas utility that is responsible for restoring your gas service, and they (not your retailer) will be able to tell you how long it will take. How quickly your gas service can be reconnected depends on several factors, among them:

• How quickly you call your retailer and how quickly your retailer gets in touch with your gas utility to request reconnection
• The availability of your gas utility
• Whether it is a weekday or a weekend
• For how long your service has been disconnected. Some municipalities require a permit if service has been disconnected for more than six months

Same Day Service

In some parts of Alberta you may be able to have your gas reconnected on the same day that you requested. However, this is not the case throughout the province. Weekend service may be possible in larger cities such as and Edmonton or Calgary, but may not be possible in smaller communities. Check with your natural gas distribution company to find out the soonest you may have your gas reconnected. Keep in mind that it costs more for same day service, if it is available in your area.

What if I Want to Temporarily Disconnect My Gas Service?

If you are renovating your home, or building  a new one, you may need to have your service disconnected temporarily as work is done. You may also want to have your service disconnected if you have a property that no-one is inhabiting for an extended period of time (for several months, for example). In most cases you will need to continue paying a minimum fee in order to be able to have your service restored. Keep in mind that gas utilities will often charge an additional fee to disconnect service on a non-working day (i.e. on a weekend or a holiday).

Temporarily Disconnecting Gas Service for Construction/Renovation

If you need to have your gas service temporarily disconnected for work (construction or renovation), you should call your natural gas utility (either ATCO Gas or AltaGas Utilities) to make a request. You may be required to pay a reconnection fee to have your service restored, which you will have to request through your energy retailer. 

You can call AltaGas Utilities on their Customer Service Line at 1-866-222-2067, from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

You can reach ATCO Gas Customer Service at 310-5678, from Monday to Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Leaving Your Property Uninhabited

If you would like to have your gas service disconnected as your property is uninhabited, you should first call your energy retailer. If you request service disconnection during the winter months, you may need to provide written confirmation of your request. If your property is left without service for longer than six months you may need to have your meter and service connection retested before your service is restored. If you are an ATCO Gas customer, keep in mind that the utility reserves the right to remove any meters that are on service sites that have been disconnected for longer than six months.

Changing Suppliers

Your gas service should not be interrupted should you decide to switch energy retailers for your supply.