Billing

The Daily Access is a portion of our rates that helps cover the costs of delivering natural gas to you, such as maintaining service lines to your building, meter reading and monthly billing. This amount is approved by the Public Utility Commission.

You may notice a slight variation of this charge from month to month. Because it is a daily charge, it reflects the number of days in a billing period. Normally a billing period covers 28 to 32 days.

The Distribution Charge covers the cost of constructing, operating and maintaining the VGS pipeline system. The charge is based on the metered volume of gas. Five types of costs are reflected in the Distribution Charge:

• • Pipeline Distribution System: Construction, ownership and financing of the VGS pipeline system, which transports and distributes gas from the Canadian border to over 56,000 customers throughout northwest Vermont.

• • Operations and Maintenance: Running a safe and reliable operation and maintaining the VGS pipeline system, including 24/7 monitoring and coverage. Safety measures include meter testing and remediation, pipeline and meter inspections and educating the public about the safe use of natural gas.

• • Taxes: Payments to Federal, State and City/Town governments in the form of property taxes, gross receipt taxes and income taxes.

• • Finance and Administration: General operating costs, such as accounting and finance, regulatory and other administrative costs.

The Natural Gas Charge is the cost of supplying natural gas. The charge is based on the metered volume of gas. There are four components to the cost of natural gas:

• • Commodity costs: The wholesale cost of the natural gas.

• • Pipeline transportation to Vermont: Transporting natural gas from the production areas in Canada to Vermont.

• • Storage costs: Storing gas in the summer to be withdrawn during winter.

• • Peaking costs: Reserving extra supplies to serve customers on the coldest (highest demand) days of the year.

The Energy Efficiency Charge is the cost to cover our Energy Efficiency Programs. This charge is based on the metered volume of gas and covers the following:

• • Financial Incentives on installation of weatherization measures.

• • Rebates on the purchase and installation of high efficient heating systems.

The Assistance Program Fee funds VGS’s Low Income Assistance Program (LIAP). The fee is a per meter, per bill charge, and funds the LIAP program that provides a 20% discount to income-eligible residential customers.

Natural gas usage often changes throughout the year based on weather, heating needs, and the length of the billing period. Colder temperatures typically result in higher usage, while milder weather may reduce consumption. Because the Daily Access charge is calculated based on the number of days in a billing cycle, that portion of your bill may also vary slightly from month to month.

The Natural Gas Charge reflects the cost of purchasing and delivering natural gas to Vermont. This includes the wholesale cost of gas, transportation to Vermont, storage costs, and additional supplies reserved for periods of high demand during colder weather

If you’re experiencing difficulty paying your bill, contact the VGS Customer Service team as soon as possible. Assistance may be available through payment plans, energy efficiency programs, fuel assistance programs, and other resources designed to support eligible customers.