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Natural Gas, Electricity for Business Customers
What made you think about buying a fixed rate contract?
  • a. a friend, neighbor or co-worker;
  • b. someone came to my door;
  • c. a news release about rising energy cost or contracts;
  • d. you saw advertising.
  • a.
  • b.
  • c.
  • d.
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Deregulated Natural Gas Prices for Your Home

Here are the competitive natural gas price offers for BC.

Questions? Go to our FAQ

Why put up with high long distance rates? Find out how you can save on long distance.

Gas Deregulation in BC

Natural gas is being deregulated for homeowners in British Columbia as of May 1, 2007. marketers can sign customers to fixed price contracts starting May 1, for contracts starting November 1, 2007.

Regulated Terasen Gas Rate

Who in BC has choice?

You have the choice to buy from a deregulated natural gas supplier if you are in Terasen's Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior or Columbia Service Areas. Vancouver Island is not deregulated. If you are supplied by a rural gas co-operative, you do not have that choice unless you are a business (non farm) customer and use more than 10,000 GJ of natural gas per year. Municipally owned natural gas companies have the option of offering choice to consumers, but are not required to do so.

Regulated rates are not fixed rates, nor can they be

In BC, the BC Utilities Commission regulates utility rates. Utilities can and do apply changes to rates retroactively! They do this if they have not collected enough to cover their costs for a previous period. They add a rate surcharge to recover that deficit. By signing up with an energy marketer you can avoid these unexpected rate changes. Or, join an Energyshop.com natural gas buying group. We competitively tender your natural gas needs to deregulated natural gas marketers! As you can see from the previous chart, they can offer you an arrangement to fit your situation.

Comparing and deciding among the various offers

In the new deregulated industry, buying natural gas is like getting a mortgage. You can choose between contract terms between 1 and 5 years. You can choose to lock in for a long period at a fixed rate, or choose totally variable rates and take your chances that rates won't go through the roof. This decision depends on your budget, and what you expect gas prices to do over the next few years.

You may cancel a contract that you sign within 10 days of receiving a copy of that contract.

What's included in retail gas prices

If you choose to buy from a gas marketer, your gas service won't change. You will still get a bill from your distributing utility which will indicate a regulated Delivery Charge - about 20% of your bill - that goes to the utility, and a Gas Supply Charge - the remaining 80% - that goes to the gas marketer you chose. If you also have rental equipment or a service contract, these will appear as well.

Example: A typical annual gas bill is $1,000. Twenty percent of that, $200, is a regulated transportation and delivery charge. The remainder, $800, is the gas supply charge. A gas marketer offering a 10% saving is offering a saving of $80, which is 10% of the $800 gas supply charge. The saving on the total gas bill is 8%, which is about $80 saving on a $1,000 gas bill.

Learn more about deregulated gas markets and marketers.

Have you seen a different price recently?

If you've seen a price from a marketer that is different from the list above, and would like to report the price to Energyshop.com so others can make an informed purchasing decision, enter it below. All comments are welcome.

Retail Natural Gas Equipment Installation Cost Chart