HOW TO READ YOUR BILL

From the early days, gas utilities measured and sold gas by volume. Most gas meters have 4 digits, the smallest of which shows 100 cubic feet, or one CCF.

All fuel prices increased dramatically in the 1970’s. Utilities switched to selling gas on the basis of heating value. One British Thermal Unit (or BTU) is the amount of heat needed to raise one pound (pint) of water by 1°F. One BTU is about the energy produced by burning a wooden match.

1. Residential Service for use in a living unit.
2. Commercial Service for use in commerce, industry or enterprise
3. Large Commercial Service for users with meters larger than 500 cfh

There isn’t a practical way to directly measure the potential energy of gas like an electrical meter shows kilowatt-hours. Gas utilities measure volume and calculate heating value. Most gas meters read in CCF, and 1 ccf of natural gas at sea level will burn to produce about 100,000 BTU. Today, the most common utility sales unit is now a THERM, or 100,000 BTU.

Pinedale is at 7200 ft elevation, where the atmospheric pressure is only 11.3 psi, or 77% of sea level (14.73 psi). The pressure in your meter is 1/4 psi above atmospheric pressure. The gas pressure is lower, so there are fewer gas molecules passing through the meter, as compared with a meter at sea level.

Gas supplied to Pinedale has small amounts of propane and butane, and is “hotter” than normal gas. With 23% lower density but 10% higher heating value, the gas averages about 85,000 BTU per CCF.  Thus the metered volume of gas is adjusted with a “Heating Factor” to correct for pressure and BTU values so that PNG sells all gas by the Therm.

A Sample PNG bill and calculation breakdown:

Click to Enlarge