Average cost for Natural Gas?

[bm17601]

I just received my latest gas bill and my budget amount has gone from $83 to $105 per month. The cost per CCF is $1.09. I'm located in PA. How does this compare to other areas? Thank goodness I have an Infinity 96 furnace.

[htg guy]

I believe at the end of last winter we were paying $.72 per ccf. I have heard that within the next month it will jump at least 40% here, and by as much as 70% in alot of other places..

[amickracing]

I think we're around .95 here for nat gas.... and it's been going up regularly. I've heard its going up 40% here this winter. I don't care too much, just means more business for us when they go to heat pumps.

[jrbenny]

$0.83 last winter. $0.94 on the last bill. Gas company just requested $1.70 per CCF starting on the next bill. I'm dual fuel, and I've calculated that my bill will jump $75 to $80 over last year in Jan and Feb. I'd to see a furnace only bill.

[Edited by jrbenny on 10-01-2005 at 12:04 PM]

[nwgasman]

NG here is $1.12 per therm (residential)
Oil is $2.84/gall
LP is around $2.40/gall
Elect at $.086/kWh (equals $2.51/therm equivilant)

[wyounger]

Georgia's rates change every month unless you lock in a fixed-rate contract for (usually) a year. We have a competitive gas market... you can buy your gas from Shell, Scana, Infinite Energy, a couple of co-ops, Southern Company, etc. The distribution is still monopoly and the distribution prices are regulated. You are just choosing who to buy the actual gas from. The gas price itself is not regulated.

This month the range in monthly-variable rates is from 1.32 to 1.49 per therm (a therm is basically the same as a CCF; multiply either by 10 to convert to an MCF price). The best rate you can get for a one-year lock in is 1.28. This is WAY up over last month. Since the commodity rates aren't regulated, they can change very fast here. I locked in my rate back in May at 99 cents per therm, though, so I am sitting pretty until next May when the contract is up. I am a wee bit worried, though, that the fixed rate contracts will put my gas company out of business, though, like the California electricity crisis went. I expect they will be selling gas to me at 99 cents in February when they are paying something like 1.50 to get it.

The best one-year fixed rate available in Georgia this year was 93.9 cents per therm. For historical comparison, in 2000, I was paying 45 cents a therm.

Since the September rates were published before Rita hit, I imagine the October rates will spike even higher. I think we went up about 30% from August to September rates, and I wouldn't be surprised to see another 30% tacked onto the October rates. Thankfully our electricity is almost entirely coal and nuclear, and the rates are under 6-7 cents/kwh in the winter. I have dual fuel and won't feel the crisis much at all.

[bentruler]

Originally posted by wyounger

I am a wee bit worried, though, that the fixed rate contracts will put my gas company out of business, though, like the California electricity crisis went. I expect they will be selling gas to me at 99 cents in February when they are paying something like 1.50 to get it.


Unless your gas company is a blitering bunch of idiots they bought futures contracts for the expected consumption of you and everyone else who signed up in May and locked their price in also. This is typically what heating oil dealers do when the lock in prices.

I'll keep my comments on the CA problem out of this forum.

[go_redskins]

Weekly:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp

Monthly:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html

[Irishmist]

jrbenny: they're saying somewhere between 62 and 70% increase over last year. I am soooooooooooooooo glad I've got my dual-fuel Evolution system in place.

[jerrod6]

From my last heating gas bill for April I was paying:

.85292 per CCF for GAS
.57905 per CCF for gas distribution

I think this comes out to almost $1.44 per CCF.

Then I paid $12 per month customer charge

Then our company adds or subtracts a weather normalization adjustment. My April bill adjustment was $2.30. This adjustment is to make up for their utter mismanagement. If the weather is warmer than they thought it would have been for that period they add additional dollars to the bill to make up for the amount you would have paid if it was as cold as it should have been, and if it is colder than it should have been they subtract some money from your bill, and if it was a cold as they thought it should have been the adjustment is $0

My total bill for April was $93. My actual gas usage was 57 CCF

The rate was increased 4.9 percent in September and they have just asked for another increase of 19.4 percent effective in October.

Not sure which one of the cost categories on the bill will be impacted but I am sure all of them might be.

[b2b]

Originally posted by wyounger
Georgia's rates change every month unless you lock in a fixed-rate contract for (usually) a year. We have a competitive gas market... you can buy your gas from Shell, Scana, Infinite Energy, a couple of co-ops, Southern Company, etc. The distribution is still monopoly and the distribution prices are regulated. You are just choosing who to buy the actual gas from. The gas price itself is not regulated.

This month the range in monthly-variable rates is from 1.32 to 1.49 per therm (a therm is basically the same as a CCF; multiply either by 10 to convert to an MCF price). The best rate you can get for a one-year lock in is 1.28. This is WAY up over last month. Since the commodity rates aren't regulated, they can change very fast here. I locked in my rate back in May at 99 cents per therm, though, so I am sitting pretty until next May when the contract is up. I am a wee bit worried, though, that the fixed rate contracts will put my gas company out of business, though, like the California electricity crisis went. I expect they will be selling gas to me at 99 cents in February when they are paying something like 1.50 to get it.

The best one-year fixed rate available in Georgia this year was 93.9 cents per therm. For historical comparison, in 2000, I was paying 45 cents a therm.

Since the September rates were published before Rita hit, I imagine the October rates will spike even higher. I think we went up about 30% from August to September rates, and I wouldn't be surprised to see another 30% tacked onto the October rates. Thankfully our electricity is almost entirely coal and nuclear, and the rates are under 6-7 cents/kwh in the winter. I have dual fuel and won't feel the crisis much at all.



Great info. What kind of dual fuel system do you have? I getting close to getting back into a house again (just in time for a gas crunch...:)) so I'm checking into alternatives. GA Power is offering rebates on Lennox systems but right now I'm doing a little research..

Thanks,

b2b

[deme]

Effective October 1/2005 residential gas rates Terasen Gas in the Vancouver B.C. Area are:

Basic charge= $10.70 CDN = $9.20 US.
Units used are gigajoules GJ. 1GJ = 9.48 therms
Delivery charge=$2.822 CDN/GJ=$0.30/therm CDN=$0.25 US/therm
Cost of Gas= $9.947 CDN/GJ= $1.50CDN/therm = $1.29US/therm

Average monthly consumption said to be 10 GJ = 94.8 therms costs =$138.39 CDN = $119.01 US

Did all these conversions get you? They almost did me.

[jrbenny]

Originally posted by John Lloyd
jrbenny: they're saying somewhere between 62 and 70% increase over last year. I am soooooooooooooooo glad I've got my dual-fuel Evolution system in place. I'm considering swapping my 80% for a 94%. I've already got the dual fuel (XL1800 HP). I can't really justify the $$$ unless I get a scratch and dent.

Read this article: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050930/NEWS01/509300362/1008. Rates are about 1/2 way through the article. LG&E has requested $17 per 1000 CF. We've got good rates compared to the smaller providers in the state.

[beenthere]

Originally posted by bm17601
I just received my latest gas bill and my budget amount has gone from $83 to $105 per month. The cost per CCF is $1.09. I'm located in PA. How does this compare to other areas? Thank goodness I have an Infinity 96 furnace.


UGI is raising the rate of all carrier owners. :)

[hvac r us 2]

Originally posted by jrbenny
[QUOTE]Originally posted by John Lloyd
[B]jrbenny:
I can't really justify the $$$ unless I get a scratch and dent.



What’s wrong with you? Just go out into the warehouse and kick one! :D

[jrbenny]

Oops...did i just knock that stack over??? shoo...good thing it was the 60-14 stack instead of the 100-20 stack...perfect fit! :D :D

[rufus]

went from .60 to 1.0
about 40% more.

[pecmsg]

Keyspan

1.621 pre therm + monthly fees You gotta love LI

[MikeJ]

Gas Charges Usage Period: 08/03/05 to 09/01/05
Pressure Correction Adjustment 21ccf x 1.1000 = 23.1 ccf
Heat Content Adjustment 23.1 ccf x 1.0068 = 23 therms

Invoice # -----
Residential Firm Service 29 days Meter 9418 09/01
Meter 9397 08/03
Total 21ccf 29days

Basic Service Charge = $6.50
Cost of Gas 23 therms @$0.770000 = $17.71
Interim Rate Adj = $ 0.50
Distribution Chg 23 therms @ $0.168770 = $3.88
Resource Adjustment = $0.05

SUBTOTAL $28.64

City Fees = $2.37
City Tax @0.50% = $0.15
State Tax @6.50% = $2.01

TOTAL AMOUNT $33.17

Looks like I pay per ccf which is multiplied by 1.1, which will rise with usage of course. Then I get a new ccf which is multiplied by 1.0068 to arrive at therms. Then I pay $0.77 per therm.

This $0.77 has been projected to increase as much as 70% which means I may pay $1.21 per therm? I don't need a calculator to know I am in a world of **** if this is true.

This gas usage is from a water heater, boiler pilot lite, and gas stove/oven (but oven wasn't used much-have BBQ. (which I probably wont be able to refill tank.)

[beenthere]

It comes out to a $1.42.9 cents pre therm, the equivilent of oil at $1.99.9 per gal.

[beenthere]

Originally posted by beenthere
It comes out to a $1.42.9 cents pre therm, the equivilent of oil at $1.99.7 per gal.

[wyounger]

Yeow... Georgia's October rates just came out.

The best 12-month rate available now appears to be $1.63 per therm (ccf). The variable rate for this month can be had as low as $1.52, but heating season still hasn't started here (I expect the variable rates will spike in February or so, beyond what you could already call the current spike). That's not the highest reported in this thread, but it's still quite a shock given that I paid 45 cents a therm in 2000.

I am locked in at 99 cents a therm through May 2006 because I signed up for a 12 month fixed contract last May, before the hurricanes.

b2b, my dual fuel system is all Carrier, installed in August 2004. I have the Infinity 58CVA070 80% furnace, Infinity control, and 38YXA024 heat pump.

[gruvn]

Got Wood ?

[Panama]

Those expensive solar panels are beginning to look cheap.

[zzyzzx]

I'm considering swapping my 80% for a 94%. I've already got the dual fuel (XL1800 HP). I can't really justify the $$$ unless I get a scratch and dent.
[/QUOTE]

I would have to think that the payback on switching out an 80% for a 94%, even at today's rates would be something like forever. I've thought about switching my water heater to electric if it goes bad, but even at these rates (and I have cheap electric) it's still more expensive to go electric.

[jrbenny]

Yep. My gas bill will increase 200-250 dollars this year. Even with my wholesale discounts and free DIY labor, it will take a while for the payback. However, I likely will change it as I intend to stay in this house for 20+ years. Just got to find a dent in the right size furnace.

[beenthere]

You think your gas rate is bad, my oil is now 2.699 a gal.

Electric baseboard would be cheaper.

[schmuck]

I checked today and ours is $1.85 for LP gas and $2.70 for no.2 fuel oil. Dominion Power is at 8.5 cents per KW. With a gas pack at 80% an oil furnace at 70% and resistance heat at 100% eff, plain old resistance heat is cheaper now to operate than gas or oil. Using resistance heat in a house that requires 30,000,000 btu's per heating season would cost the homowner $747 for the season. A gas pack to heat the same house would cost $770, oil wouild be $826, and a heat pump would be at $289. Heat pump owners will be thankful this year!!

[schmuck]

Just think.......If that same house in the above post had a Geothermal unit it would cost the homeowner about $149 for that heating season!!

[gruvn]

So what do we do, I don' tthink even geting 93% effieincy out of a gas fire furnace is very good, it is till going to be a high energy cost. Electric is expensive also, if this trend continues, we will all be geting very cranking. I am working on an invention to solve this problem. I will have it up and running in my home by Nov. 15th, I will be using a standard heatpump with a few modifications, that are costing me about 300 dollars in material, I will get a COP of about 15 to 1 out of it.

That would be approxomately, a 45 SEER system.

[Edited by gruvn on 10-06-2005 at 07:40 AM]

[wyounger]

Originally posted by gruvn
So what do we do, I don' tthink even geting 93% effieincy out of a gas fire furnace is very good, it is till going to be a high energy cost. Electric is expensive also, if this trend continues, we will all be geting very cranking. I am working on an invention to solve this problem. I will have it up and running in my home by Nov. 15th, I will be using a standard heatpump with a few modifications, that are costing me about 300 dollars in material, I will get a COP of about 15 to 1 out of it.

That would be approxomately, a 45 SEER system.

[Edited by gruvn on 10-06-2005 at 07:40 AM]

OK, don't be a tease. What have you got up your sleeve that will produce such heat pump magic?

[beenthere]

bm17601.

Is that your zip code.

[bigtime]

Originally posted by gruvn
So what do we do, I don' tthink even geting 93% effieincy out of a gas fire furnace is very good, it is till going to be a high energy cost. Electric is expensive also, if this trend continues, we will all be geting very cranking. I am working on an invention to solve this problem. I will have it up and running in my home by Nov. 15th, I will be using a standard heatpump with a few modifications, that are costing me about 300 dollars in material, I will get a COP of about 15 to 1 out of it.

That would be approxomately, a 45 SEER system.

[Edited by gruvn on 10-06-2005 at 07:40 AM]

Let me guess. You are going to go outside when it gets cold, stand real close to the unit, and start talking.

[dan sw fl]

Originally posted by gruvn
I am working on an invention to solve this problem. I will have it up and running in my home by Nov. 15th, I will be using a standard heat pump with a few modifications, that cost me ~ $300 dollars in material.

I will get a COP of about 15 to 1 out of it.
That would be ~45 SEER system.

[Edited by gruvn on 10-06-2005 at 07:40 AM]

That's Great ..
Will you buying Carrier Co. as your mfg and distributor?

[beenthere]

Originally posted by bigtime

Originally posted by gruvn


That would be approxomately, a 45 SEER system.

[Edited by gruvn on 10-06-2005 at 07:40 AM]

Let me guess. You are going to go outside when it gets cold, stand real close to the unit, and start talking.


ROTFLMFAO