What Eastward Energy does in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has one franchised natural gas distributor. Eastward Energy owns the gas mains, the service lines and the meters across its territory, and is the company that bills Nova Scotia residential gas customers. Unlike the electricity side of the province, where Nova Scotia Power dominates, the gas network is small and young: it follows the populated corridors of mainland Nova Scotia, fed by the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. Eastward Energy operated as Heritage Gas from 2003 and rebranded to its current name in 2022.
Eastward Energy is investor-owned and is part of TriSummit Utilities, a private utilities group. Because it holds a regulated franchise, there is no competing gas retailer inside its network: the only meaningful choice for a household is whether to connect to natural gas at all, or to heat with electricity, propane, oil or wood. Rates and the franchise itself are overseen by the Nova Scotia Energy Board.
Where Eastward Energy delivers natural gas
Eastward Energy's network follows the populated corridors of mainland Nova Scotia, fed by the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. Its franchise covers all or part of seven counties, including the Halifax Regional Municipality. Most of the province, however, sits well away from the pipeline corridor and is not on the gas network at all.
- •Halifax region: Halifax, Dartmouth and surrounding communities
- •Northern mainland: Amherst, Oxford
- •Pictou area: New Glasgow, Pictou County
- •All or part of seven counties along the pipeline corridor
- •Most rural Nova Scotia off the pipeline corridor
- •Cape Breton and much of the South Shore and west
- •Small communities away from the existing mains
- •Alternatives: propane, heating oil, wood, electric heat, heat pumps
If your address is off the gas network, request a service-extension assessment from Eastward Energy: it will be priced based on the distance from the existing main and the contribution required.
How Eastward Energy's charges appear on your bill
A residential Eastward Energy gas bill has a commodity component (the gas itself, in gigajoules or cubic metres) and a delivery component (the cost of moving the gas across Eastward Energy's network, plus the basic service charge). The commodity portion adjusts more frequently to track wholesale markets, while the delivery portion changes only through full rate applications heard by the Nova Scotia Energy Board.
A per-gigajoule rate for the natural gas itself. Reflects wholesale gas market costs; adjusted through Nova Scotia Energy Board review as market conditions move.
A per-gigajoule rate for moving gas over Eastward Energy's mains and service lines. Stable; changes through a full rate case.
A fixed dollar amount billed every month regardless of consumption. Covers the meter, service connection, billing infrastructure and customer support.
Nova Scotia applies 15% HST, but the provincial 10% portion on residential home energy, including natural gas heating, is rebated through the Your Energy Rebate Program, so households effectively pay the 5% federal portion.
The current rate schedule is filed publicly with the Nova Scotia Energy Board and on eastwardenergy.com.
Contact details: gas leak line first
Smell gas? Leave first, then call from outside. For an immediate hazard, call 911 first.
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Atlantic time); 24/7 emergency gas leak line
For non-urgent online options use the corporate website or the customer self-service portal. Account, billing or programme questions also go to Eastward Energy, since there is no separate retailer.
Gas leaks and gas-supply interruptions
A gas leak is treated as an emergency at any concentration. The dispatcher logs your address, sends a technician immediately, and may dispatch fire services if the situation warrants. Gas-supply interruptions are less common than electricity outages but follow a similar workflow.
Get everyone out. Do not use switches, phones, lighters, vehicle starters or anything that could create a spark.
Once at a safe distance, call the 24/7 leak line at 1-866-313-3030. If the smell is strong, call 911 first.
An Eastward Energy gas technician will arrive, locate the source, isolate the supply and tag the affected appliance or section.
Do not re-enter the building until the technician confirms it is safe. Appliance repairs are the responsibility of a certified gas fitter.
Natural gas is odorised with mercaptan, the rotten-egg smell that makes leaks detectable at very low concentrations. If you have a working carbon-monoxide detector and it alarms while you also smell gas, treat both as a single emergency and leave immediately.
New gas connection or service upgrade
For a new gas connection, a service line extension or a meter relocation, you deal with Eastward Energy. Start at https://eastwardenergy.com/ or call 902-466-2003. You will need the civic address, a site sketch showing the meter location and route from the gas main, the list of gas appliances (furnace, water heater, range, dryer, fireplace, etc.) so Eastward Energy can size the service correctly, and the relevant Nova Scotia gas permit plus a certified gas fitter to commission the in-house piping.
Typical lead time for a residential connection from an existing main is several weeks; service extensions to a new street can take longer and require a contribution.
Moving home, transferring or closing a gas service
For a move within Eastward Energy's territory, call 902-466-2003: Eastward Energy closes the old gas billing account and opens the new one. Allow a couple of business days for standard moves, and more for end-of-month moves. If you are moving outside the gas network (or out of Nova Scotia), Eastward Energy closes the account.
Gas meters, reading and accuracy
Eastward Energy owns the gas meter at your address. It measures volume in cubic metres and converts to gigajoules for billing, based on the heating value of the gas delivered. If you suspect a fault, request an accuracy test: Eastward Energy pulls the meter and tests it on a calibrated bench against Measurement Canada tolerances. If the meter is out of tolerance, the test is free and you get a billing adjustment; if it passes, the test fee is charged to you at the Eastward Energy tariff rate.
What do you need to do with Eastward Energy?
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Note: under AUC Rule 002, Alberta distributors are not required to pay automatic compensation for outages. Damage claims are evaluated case-by-case on negligence.
Compensation and damage claims
Nova Scotia has no statutory automatic-compensation scheme for natural-gas service interruptions. If a gas-supply interruption damaged a heating system or other appliance, you can file a damage claim with Eastward Energy: it is evaluated case-by-case on negligence, and routinely denied if the cause was outside the utility's control (severe weather, third-party damage to the gas main, etc.). For most residential losses, home insurance is faster and more likely to pay.
Regulator and complaint escalation
Eastward Energy's rates and franchise are regulated by the Nova Scotia Energy Board (NSEB), formerly the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB). Eastward Energy cannot raise rates on its own: it must file an application, the board holds public hearings, and the board approves, modifies or rejects the proposed rates. The board is independent of both the utility and the government. Eastward Energy itself is investor-owned and is part of TriSummit Utilities.