“The natural gas commodity market has been relatively steady recently, which allows us to maintain rates for the majority of our customers,” said Cynthia Des Brisay, Vice President, Gas Supply and Transmission, Terasen Gas. “We are pleased that we can provide stable rates but encourage our customers to use energy wisely all year round.”

 

The approval means rates for customers in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior, North, the Kootenays and Fort Nelson will not change. Rates on Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and Powell River will also be unaffected.

 

In Revelstoke, customers will see a propane rate increase of $2.61 per gigajoule (GJ). This works out to an approximate 17 per cent increase, or $130 on a total annual bill based on annual consumption of 50 GJ/year. Customers in Revelstoke have benefited from an almost 50 per cent decrease in rates since January 1, 2009. As propane rates are influenced by the cost of crude oil, and closely follow oil prices, a rise in that commodity market in the past quarter impacts rates for propane customers.

 

In Whistler, where customers are currently being converted from propane to natural gas, the BCUC recently approved a 12 per cent rate decrease to annual charges. These changes came into effect June 1, 2009. Terasen Gas has now applied for a decrease to Whistler commodity rates effective July 1, 2009. If approved, customers in Whistler will see a rate decrease of $2.41 per GJ. This equals approximately 10 per cent, or $217, on a total annual bill, based on an average annual consumption of 90 GJ. Due to ongoing conversions, some customers will not receive their first natural gas bill until August. More information about the Whistler Natural Gas Conversion Project is available at terasengas.com/whistler.

 

Terasen Gas uses a number of tactics and strategies to ensure a reliable supply of natural gas and propane at a reasonable price for our customers, including:

The cost of the natural gas or propane commodity accounts for the majority of the typical residential bill. The delivery charges, which account for the remaining portion, have remained relatively flat over the past six years for customers in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior, North, the Kootenays and Revelstoke. Terasen Gas has filed a revenue requirement application with the BCUC that, if approved, would be used to set delivery rates that come into effect January 1, 2010 for these customers.

 

In June, Terasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc. will also file a revenue requirement application in addition to a rate design application that, if approved, would come into effect January 1, 2010 for customers on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and in Powell River.

 

 

Michael Chisholm
Corporate Communications Manager
Phone: (604) 576-7300
Email: michael.chisholm@terasengas.com