South Cariboo residents can expect to see a slight decrease on their natural gas bill come January.
Bills should decrease around 1.1 per cent or $1 per month based on an average monthly consumption of 7.5 gigajoules FortisBC said in a news release.
“It all depend on consumption. If it’s a very cold winter up there, and I think right now everywhere it’s a bit more mild than past years, they would be using more gas and consumption would increase. But if they’re consuming less, they’ll see more of a decrease,” said a spokesperson for Fortis BC .
FortisBC, which is regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), reviews its delivery and storage and transport rates once a year to ensure rates cover they cover the costs related to delivering energy safely and reliably
The cost of gas is reviewed every quarter with the BCUC and adjusted accordingly.There is no mark up on the actual cost of the gas.
“Decreasing gas bills will be welcome news for many of our customers, especially at this time of year when energy use increases with colder temperatures,” said Michelle Carman, vice-president of customer service and external communications.
With the high cost of living it can be hard for seniors, for low income families and single parents to keep bills up-to-date.
“We’re here for people if they need to make payment arrangements or go on some type of payment plan,” the spokesperson said. “We just encourage people to call if you’re struggling with your bill. We never want to disconnect someone, it’s really the last resort, so we can always work something out if the bills are high.”
There are a variety of rebates available for consumers to help reduce the amount of gas used in their home and businesses and be more energy efficient. These include insulation, hot water heaters and natural gas furnaces.
For more information about how rates and items make up a FortisBC gas bill, visit: fortisbc.com/rates or call 1-888-224-2710.
