Understanding Your Enbridge Gas Bill: Natural Gas Charges
Here is an example of the second page of your natural gas bill from Enbridge. This page provides greater detail about your natural gas charges, including meter reading information and gas supply data.
Enbridge Charges for Natural Gas
This section outlines your gas consumption and related charges during the period being billed. These include:
Customer Charge: a fixed amount charged systematically to all gas accounts - regardless of whether or not gas is consumed - in order to recover Enbridge's maintenance, consumer information and billing, and emergency services costs. This charge is approved by the Ontario Energy Board. It is currently set at $20 per month.
Delivery to You: this charge is intended to recover the costs of delivering gas through Enbridge's distribution system to your home (fixed costs for infrastructure and customer service). This charge includes a regulated rate of return, approved by the OEB. Enbridge charges different rates for delivery on a descending scale based on the quantity of gas you have consumed.
Site Restoration Clearance: this is an OEB-approved charge that recovers the costs of replacing or retiring gas distribution pipelines. The site restoration clearance takes into account estimated costs for present and future restoration costs. It may appear on your bill as a charge or as a credit. In the rates approved in October 2014, this item appeared as a credit of 6.5211 cents per m3.
Transportation to Enbridge: This is the cost of transporting gas from its point of production (Western Canada or the US) to Ontario. This charge is based on established transportation prices and is passed along to you with no mark-up. As of October 1st, 2014, the transportation charge for Enbridge was 5.0013 cents/m3. If you choose to purchase your gas supply from an energy marketer, they may take responsibility for your gas transportation charges, in which case your transportation charges will be based on the terms of your contract.
Gas Supply Cost: the gas supply cost reflects the price at which Enbridge purchased the gas that supplies your home. It is based on the market prices, and Enbridge does not receive a mark-up. Ensuring that you receive gas at-cost is done in two steps, with the gas supply cost and the cost adjustment below. The Gas Supply Cost for October 1st 2014 was 14.6243 per m3.
Cost Adjustment: As the gas supply cost is based on predicted costs of procuring your gas supply, the cost adjustment allows Enbridge to account for any differences between the predicted and actual costs of your gas supply. This is in fact the case for all costs that Enbridge passes to you at no mark up (like transportation). The cost adjustment can be a charge or a refund. It may take into account components for natural gas supply, transportation, and delivery, depending on which items you buys from Enbridge. For the rate change on October 1, 2014, the cost adjustment was 5.5393 per m3.
Check out our guide to how the Ontario electricity and natural gas markets work to understand the natural gas system in Ontario. Our article explaining regulated gas rates can give you a better idea of how natural gas prices are determined in Ontario.
Enbridge Budget Billing Plan (BPP)
If you are on the Budget Billing Plan, the next section of your bill will outline your monthly charges. You will see the start and end dates for your BPP term undeneath the BPP Overview. This section will also indicate the difference between how much you have paid on the BPP plan (BPP installments billed to date) and your Total Natural Gas Charges, which is called the BPP Balance. You will have to pay the BPP balance once a year, or when you decide to leave your Enbridge account and/or the BPP.
Other Enbridge Charges
This section indicates charges for your Security Deposit (Cash Deposit Request) and New Account Charge if you are a new customer. Enbridge customers are asked to pay a security deposit when they open a new account, but this can be waived if you sign up for Pre-Authorized Payment. All Enbridge customers must pay the one time New Account fee, which recovers some of the costs of setting up your new account (such as obtaining billing data, sending a representative to take an initial meter reading, turning on the gas (if necessary) and any administrative work associated with opening your account).
Meter Information
Here you will find information about your meter and meter reads, like your Meter Number. This is a unique number assigned to your meter, which you can find on the face of your meter. You will also find the dates of your meter reads. Enbridge usually does an actual reading once every two months, and estimates monthly readings in between. Estimated readings are based on weather conditions for the billing period and historical consumption. Your bill will specify whether readings were real or estimated. If you choose, you can do your own meter reading and submit it to Enbridge (learn how to read your gas meter).
Gas Supply Information
This section indicates your gas supplier. If you purchase your gas supply from Enbridge you will find more information about the breakdown of your gas supply costs. If you purchase your gas supply from an energy marketer, you will find their name, rate, and telephone number here.
Comparing Your Gas Consumption
Enbridge compiles information about your gas consumption history to help you better understand your gas consumption patterns, including information about the weather over the past two years.
Want more information about Ontario energy markets? Our guides to Ontario Energy Actors can help you better understand how the natural gas system works in Ontario
Learn more about the final pages of your bill
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