Understanding My Gas Bill & Meter

Billing Home Page

The Gas Meter

• How to read your meter
• Meter reading schedule
• Providing accessibility to your gas meter
• Meter reading and meter accuracy

Your Gas Bill

• How to read your gas bill
• About gas rates and how bills are calculated
• Request latest bill
• Billing terms
• Conversion factors
• Charges on your bill from a third party

How to Read Your Meter

Please use the following steps to read your meter correctly:

1. Read the dials left to right.
2. If the hand is between two numbers, always select the lower number. When the hand is between "9" and "0," then "9" is considered the lower number.
3. When the hand looks as though it is DIRECTLY on the number, look at the dial to the right. If the dial on the right has passed "0," use the number that the hand is on. If the dial on the right has not passed "0," use the number less than what the hand is on.

Use the meter reading below to understand how to read your meter.

Remember to record the lower number if the dial is between two numbers.
For this example, read from left to right.

• The first dial is turning counter-clockwise. It points between the "6" and the "7."
  Read this dial as 6.
  
• The second dial is between "0" and "1." It might even look as though it is on the "1," but you can see that the dial to the right is not past "0." (It is "8.") Read the lower number.
  Read this dial as 0.
  
• The third dial is turning counter-clockwise and is just after the "8."
  Read this dial as 8.
  
• The fourth dial is turning clockwise and is between the "4" and the "5."
  Read this dial as "4."

The correct reading for this meter is 6084.

How to Determine the Date Your Meter Will Be Read

• 2010 Meter Reading Schedule (Adobe PDF)
  Scheduled Saturday Read day is November 6.
  
• 2009 Meter Reading Schedule (Adobe PDF)
  The gas meter will be on or around the date listed.
  A Saturday Read Day is scheduled for November 21 .

Securely confine your DOG during meter reading visits.

How to find your cycle number

To learn your cycle number (a number from 1 to 21), consult the sample gas bill below. The arrow shows where the cycle number is located on the bill. We use a 21 day read cycle and your meter is generally read on a monthly cycle.

Providing Accessibility to Your Gas Meter

If your meter cannot be accessed due to vegetation, an unfriendly dog, or a locked gate, we must estimate your bill. If you choose to keep your gate locked, please contact us to make arrangements to have your meter accessed on the "scheduled read date." You'll find this date printed on your last bill.

We may also contact you because of a locked gate when we need to work on the meter or survey the underground piping. And in an emergency, we or the fire department may need to shut off your meter. So make sure the meter is easy to reach.

Meter reading and meter accuracy

How come I never see anyone come to read the meter?

Although you may not actually see the meter reader, we attempt to read each meter once a month. If we have difficulty accessing your meter -- an unfriendly dog in the yard or locked gate with no one home -- we will estimate that month's usage. We will print "Estimated Bill" on your bill. When we get an actual read of your meter, adjustments can be made.

Could there be something wrong with the meter?

During the past 50 years, gas meters have proven to be very reliable and accurate. If, however, one shows that you've used a much higher or lower than normal amount of gas, we automatically take steps to investigate the problem. If needed, we will test the meter and may possibly replace it and make any necessary adjustment to your bill.

How to Read Your Gas Bill

• Understanding your gas bill (Adobe PDF)

How can I get a duplicate bill or information on my latest bill

The easiest way to view or print a copy of your most recent or past bill is to register or log on to My Account. You can receive, view and pay your bill -- all online.

When you log on to My Account, go to View My Bill, then Bill History.

There you can view and print out your account history -- up to 25 months. Just click on the bill you'd like to see. Try it now.

Or, if you'd prefer, you can call our automated service line 24 hours a day, at 1-800-772-5050*.

*Note, requests made through our phone line will take approximately 3-5 working days to complete. Billing information can only be sent to the mailing address on record.

Billing Terms

• BTU: British Thermal Unit: One BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. A more practical definition would be: how much gas an appliance will use to produce heat or cooling. As a result, gas appliances are sized by a BTU rating. 100,000 BTU's equal 1 therm. For example, a 400,000 BTU heater, when in use, would use 4 therms of gas per hour. A 30,000 BTU range would use .3 therms per hour of use.
• CCF: Hundred of Cubic Feet: Method used for gas measurement. The quantity of gas at a temperature of sixty degrees Fahrenheit and a pressure of 14.73 pounds per square inch makes up one cubic foot.
• Billing Factor: An adjuster used to convert CCF into therms. It adjusts the amount of gas used to reflect the heat value of the gas at a given altitude. The heating value can vary from month to month; therefore, the billing factor is not always the same.
• Therm: A therm is approximately 100,000 BTUs. It is a standard unit of measurement. CCFs are converted to therms for purposes of billing.

Natural Gas Conversions

• 1 cubic foot = 1050 Btu
• Therm = 100,000 Btu
• Ccf = 100 cubic foot, or 1 therm
• Mcf = 1000 cubic feet = 10.20 therms
• MMcf = 1 million cubic feet
• Bcf = 1 billion cubic feet
• Decatherm (Dth) = 10 therms = 1 million Btu
• Mmbtu = 1 million btu = 10 therms

About gas rates and how bills are calculated

Natural gas rates are made up of two primary charges:

• Gas delivery service, which The Gas Company provides - the "delivery" (or "transmission") charge; and,
• The cost of the natural gas itself -- which is reflected in the "procurement" charge.

Many people believe that The Gas Company produces natural gas, but we don't. For our residential and smaller business customers, we buy natural gas from producers and marketers at the best possible prices on the open market.

The wholesale gas prices we pay are based on market supply and demand. They're not marked up by The Gas Company, and are shown on your monthly bill as the "commodity charge."

The Gas Company's delivery service charge covers the costs of transporting natural gas through our pipeline system. It is approved annually by the California Public Utilities Commission and is not impacted by the price of natural gas.

We have posted the latest Gas Company rates.

Monthly Gas rates vary based on monthly gas prices

Since 1997, the cost of natural gas that customers pay in their rates is based on a forecasted monthly price instead of a forecasted annual price. This allows rates to more closely follow current natural gas market prices.

With monthly pricing, gas rates are based upon a 30-day forecast of natural gas market prices. This gives customers a better picture of the current price of natural gas, and means they no longer have to wait for annual adjustments to their bills to make up for differences between the 12-month forecast price and the actual price paid by The Gas Company on a monthly basis.

We have posted the monthly procurement rates for gas.

Does The Gas Company benefit from higher gas prices?

We do not produce natural gas; energy production companies produce natural gas. The Gas Company just delivers natural gas to its customers.

Baseline therm allowance

As determined by the California Public Utilities Commission, under the direction of the State Legislature, "baseline therm allowances" are the amounts of natural gas needed to meet the minimum basic needs of the average home. The Gas Company is required to bill these "baseline" amounts at its lowest residential rates. The goal of these "baseline" amounts is to encourage efficient use of natural gas.

Charges on Your Bill from a Third Party

For bill questions and charges on your gas bill from third-party vendors --

• Commerce Energy (formerly ACN) 1-877-226-3649
• Utiligard 1-800-936-4427
• American Bankers Insurance Company of FL (formerly Federal Warranty) 1-800-936-4427