New Rates for Natural Gas in New Year
Prince George, B.C.- A new rate plan for Fortis BC could mean some savings for natural gas customers in the Prince George area.
Fortis has reviewed its rates and new rates will come into effect as of January 1.
In the Prince George and North region, while there is no change in the price for the actual natural gas, customers will see a slight reduction in the amount they are being charged for the delivery rate for natural gas as it it will be trimmed by $0.094 per gigajoule. There will also be a slight increase ($0.031) per gigajoule to the amount charged for storage and transport ( formerly called midstream) . So overall, Fortis says that will result in a decrease of about $6 per year for the average residential user.
With the exception of Fort Nelson, January 1st will also mark the start of the phasing in of a province wide common rate for natural gas. Right now, rates vary depending on location. “This is an exciting development for FortisBC,” said Roger Dall’Antonia, Executive Vice-President, Customer Service and Regulatory Affairs at FortisBC. “For the first time, a majority of our customers will be moving to the same rate for natural gas. This will bring rate consistency and fairness to our customers.”
The change to a common rate will be welcome news to customers in Whistler, who, under the new system, would save about $200 dollars a year on the gas bill.
Customers in Revelstoke are expected to save about $150 dollars a year, and those on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Powell River will see their annual costs drop by nearly $100 a year.
Comments
A savings of $6.00 per year. Whoopee I can hardly wait to start to spend this money. I think I might buy a couple of loaves of bread, or perhaps a dozen eggs at the Farmers Market.
So we will have a situation where Natural Gas will be piped all the way to Vancouver Island, and they will get it for the same price we do in Prince George.
If prices were based on the amount of gas used per household, per annum, with lower rates for higher consumption, then the Northern Towns would be able to save a few bucks. We need to burn more during the winter months just to keep from freezing.
Lower rates for higher consumption is a basic principle of doing business. Seems Fortis either doesn’t understand the concept, or chooses to ignore it.
In any event we in the North are once again getting the short end of the stick.
Oh poor George they are being discriminated against again. The election is over Pal so get into the nappy mode.
Cheers
Fortis and its price of gas has nothing to do with the election.
Anyone who buys by volume, usually gets a lower price. People in the North consume more natural gas per person than those in the South, so on a per capita basis we should get a lower rate.
Certainly those business’s that consume large amounts of natural gas get volume discounts. So do trucking companies that consume large amounts of diesel and gasoline.
I live in the North and as such, I expect that I will have to pay more than lower Mainland residents do for Salmon caught near Vancouver. I expect to pay more than Okanagon residents pay for fruit grown in the Okanagon Valley.
It’s reasonable to expect, perhaps demand, that I pay less for natural gas, gas and electricity than those that live further away from the source.
But once again, it appears that we in the North, who produce the vast majority of our Provincial wealth are being screwed over once again in order to appease the bleeding hearts that live, from my point of view “beyond Hope”!
Reality is that once that Gas is in the pipeline there is no real discernible difference in cost to transport it from Fort Nelson to PG versus Fort Nelson to Vancouver.
It’s not like fish or produce that has to be moved by truck or train thereby incurring costs for fuel, labour etc.
If in fact there is any difference in those costs it will be minuscule at best.
Fortis and its price of gas has nothing to do with the election.
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Has lot to do with your attitude tho Pal. I would hate to see you develop ulsers.
Cheers
Speaking of elections, did anyone notice that the Federal Conservatives won two by elections on Monday. One in Ontario and one in Alberta.
Hmmmmm.
NyteHawwk, although costs might be negligible, they are costs non the less.
There was a cost for the pipelines and a cost for the compressor stations along the line. There are ongoing maintenance costs for those and even for the pipeline right of way.
Perhaps miniscule at best, but even a miniscule cost should be accounted for by the end user. I don’t mind paying the cost to get the gas to me in Prince George, but I’d rather not share in the additional costs to get it down to Lotus Land!
New Rates for Natural Gas in New Year
When I read the headline I thought here we go again, a 20 percent increase! One is so used to the relentless bad news from the City with all the tax and fee increases that this Fortis news is nothing but good news!
No increase and a dozen organic eggs! Wow!
Awesome! Once a year I can buy a bag of peanuts for $6.
That is the game played by all big companies… Raise the rates big time.. Then down the road lower them by a tiny percentage of the previous raise and try to make themselves look like heros. Banks do it all the time.. Charge %17 on Visa card… Then brag about the huge interest on their saving plans…of a whooping %2.
Opinion 250, where good news goes bad…
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