Latest news with #SarahNelson
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
FortisBC gas bills to change for customers July 1
"We understand that affordability and reliability are top priorities for many of the families and businesses we serve in British Columbia," said Sarah Nelson, director of customer service at FortisBC. "That's why we remain committed to keeping rates as low as possible while ensuring reliable energy service and supporting progress on climate action goals." Approved on an interim basis, the increase in the designated RNG blend will result in a slight increase to the storage and transport rate. This results in an overall approximate annual increase of 2.9 per cent for customers in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior, North, Whistler, Vancouver Island, Revelstoke and the Kootenays, and approximately 3.5 per cent annually for customers in Fort Nelson. Adding RNG to North America's gas system does not require customers to change (or retrofit) any of their existing gas appliances or equipment. The designated RNG blend is included in the storage and transport line item on customer bills. The adjustment has received interim approval from the BCUC and is subject to further review. FortisBC will continue to offer the voluntary RNG program so customers can choose to designate up to 100 per cent of the gas they use as RNG, inclusive of the three per cent designated blend. FortisBC acquires gas at market-based prices, and factors like supply and demand, weather and economic conditions affect the price of gas in North America. FortisBC does not mark up the cost of natural gas, so customers pay what it pays. Customers who have questions about their bill are encouraged to reach out. FortisBC's customer service team can answer billing questions, provide energy-saving tips and offer payment plan solutions that fit individual needs. For more information about rates and the components that make up a FortisBC gas bill, visit FortisBC Energy Inc. is a regulated utility focused on providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, including natural gas, Renewable Natural Gas and propane. FortisBC Energy Inc. employs around 2,143 British Columbians and serves approximately 1,086,500 customers across British Columbia. FortisBC Energy Inc. owns and operates two liquefied natural gas storage facilities and approximately 51,600 kilometres of gas transmission and distribution lines. FortisBC Energy Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electricity and gas utility industry. FortisBC Energy Inc. uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. For further information on FortisBC Energy Inc., visit For further information on Fortis Inc., visit . Rates at a glance *Excluding taxes and levies. Items on a residential gas customer's bill Daily or monthly basic charge The basic charge is a flat fee that partially recovers the fixed costs of our system, whether or not a customer is using any gas, as long as the customer is connected to the system. Delivery charge The delivery charge is based on consumption and pays for the cost of safely and reliably delivering gas through our system to our customers' homes and businesses. This helps cover the costs of maintaining our gas distribution system, provides a return to our investors and funds improvements to meet customers' needs. Delivery charges are reviewed by the BCUC annually. Storage and transport charge The storage and transport charge reflects the prices we pay to other companies to store and transport gas through their pipelines and infrastructure. We do not mark up these costs, and they are reviewed quarterly and set annually by the BCUC. The storage and transport charge also includes the cost of the RNG blend. Cost of gas rate Every three months, FortisBC reviews the cost of gas rates with the BCUC to make sure rates passed on to customers cover the cost of the commodity purchased on their behalf. We do not mark up the cost of gas, so customers pay what we pay. Factors affecting the market price of natural gas in North America include weather, supply and demand and economic conditions. Other charges and taxes Other charges and taxes include the B.C. clean energy levy, Goods and Services Tax and, in some municipalities, a municipal operating fee. These charges are set by various levels of government and collected by FortisBC on their behalf. FortisBC does not gain revenue from these charges. SOURCE FortisBC Energy Inc.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cost of gas rates to remain the same for FortisBC customers
SURREY, BC, March 14, 2025 /CNW/ - FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) has received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to maintain the cost of gas rate for its customers at $2.230 per gigajoule (GJ). Some customers1 subscribed to the voluntary Renewable Natural Gas2 (RNG) program will see a rate increase, which will be offset by a change to the biomethane credit. The BCUC reviews FortisBC's cost of gas and voluntary RNG program rates every three months and will review them next in June. "We know that energy costs matter to the families and businesses we serve in British Columbia," said Sarah Nelson, director of customer service. "While most of our gas customers won't see a change in rates, we're here to help if you have any questions about your bill. Our dedicated customer service team is ready to provide energy-saving tips, answer billing questions and offer personalized solutions to meet your needs." FortisBC acquires gas at market-based prices, and factors like supply and demand, weather and economic conditions affect the price of gas in North America. FortisBC does not mark up the cost of natural gas, so customers pay what it pays. To help keep rates affordable for its customers, FortisBC purchases gas in the summer when prices are lower and stores it so that lower-cost gas is available to customers in winter months when they need it most. In addition, FortisBC sells any surplus gas back to the market to further offset costs and passes those savings on to its customers. On April 1, the Government of British Columbia's carbon tax on natural gas and propane will increase. FortisBC collects the carbon tax on behalf of the province and submits it to them. FortisBC does not gain any revenue from these charges. Customers subscribing to the voluntary RNG program receive a carbon tax credit (called the biomethane credit) on the portion of their energy designated as RNG. As of April 1, some customers subscribed to the voluntary RNG program will see a rate increase from $13.22 per GJ to $13.96 per GJ. However, this will be offset by a change to the biomethane credit. Customers who have questions about their bill are encouraged to reach out. FortisBC's customer service team can answer billing questions, provide information about energy-saving tips and offer payment plan solutions that fit individual needs. _______________________________ 1 Excluding customers using RNG under the vehicle voluntary RNG Rate Schedules 3VRNG, 5VRNG, and 46 or commercial and industrial customers using RNG under Rate Schedule 11RNG, which are also reviewed by the BCUC. 2 Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane) is produced in a different manner than conventional natural gas. It is derived from biogas, which is produced from decomposing organic waste from landfills, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities. The biogas is captured and cleaned to create RNG. When RNG is added to North America's natural gas system, it mixes with conventional natural gas. This means we're unable to direct RNG to a specific customer. But the more RNG is added to the gas system, the less conventional natural gas is needed, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and overall greenhouse gas emissions. For more information about rates and the components that make up a FortisBC gas bill, visit About FortisBC Energy Inc. FortisBC Energy Inc. is a regulated utility focused on providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, including natural gas, Renewable Natural Gas and propane. FortisBC Energy Inc. employs around 2,143 British Columbians and serves approximately 1,086,500 customers across British Columbia. FortisBC Energy Inc. owns and operates two liquefied natural gas storage facilities and approximately 51,600 kilometres of gas transmission and distribution lines. FortisBC Energy Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electricity and gas utility industry. FortisBC Energy Inc. uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. For further information on FortisBC Energy Inc., visit For further information on Fortis Inc., visit BACKGROUNDER Historical data for Mainland and Vancouver Island (including North and South Interior, Whistler) Items on a residential gas customer's bill Daily or monthly basic charge The basic charge is a flat fee that partially recovers the fixed costs of FortisBC's system, whether or not a customer is using any gas, as long as they are connected to the system. Delivery charge The delivery charge is based on consumption and pays for the cost of safely and reliably delivering gas through FortisBC's system to a customer's home or business. This helps cover the costs of maintaining the gas distribution system, provides a return to FortisBC's investors and funds improvements to meet customers' needs. Delivery charges are reviewed annually by the BCUC. Storage and transport charge The storage and transport charge is what FortisBC pays to other companies to store and transport gas through their pipelines and infrastructure. FortisBC does not mark up the cost of storage and transport, and it is reviewed quarterly and set annually by the BCUC. Cost of gas rates Every three months, FortisBC reviews the cost of gas and voluntary RNG program rates with the BCUC to make sure rates passed on to customers cover the cost of the commodity purchased on their behalf. FortisBC does not mark up the cost of natural gas, so customers pay what it pays. Factors affecting the market price of gas in North America include weather, supply and demand and economic conditions. Other charges and taxes Other charges and taxes include the B.C. carbon tax, B.C. clean energy levy, Goods and Services Tax and, in some municipalities, a municipal operating fee. These charges are set by various levels of government and collected by FortisBC on their behalf. FortisBC does not gain revenue from these charges. SOURCE FortisBC Energy Inc. View original content to download multimedia:
