Frequently Asked Questions

Information about ATCO Gas delivery rates.

What do delivery charges cover?
How are delivery rates set?
Why do I pay a delivery charge even when I use no gas?
What is the annual consumption for an average residential home?
What are the Production Rider and the Storage Rider?
What is the Production and Storage Charge? (South Only)
What is a municipal franchise fee/charge?

What do delivery charges cover?

Delivery charges recover the costs ATCO Gas incurs to provide the delivery, customer care and distribution systems that ensure natural gas is available when you need it. Our delivery costs – among the lowest in Canada – are reviewed and approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission. Delivery costs include:

• Installing, operating and maintaining pipelines across Alberta. The ATCO Gas delivery system includes more than 34,000 km of pipelines.
• Providing 24-hour response to natural gas emergencies.
• Responding to requests to check natural gas furnace and gas appliances for safe and efficient operation.
• Metering customers’ use of energy and providing data to the customer's retailer.
• Safety and energy efficiency programs and services as ATCO EnergySense.
   

How are delivery rates set?

All our delivery costs are reviewed and approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission. A public review/process is held before any change in our rates. Different customer groups cross-examine our witnesses on every aspect of our costs. The board then decides how much of our costs can be recovered from customers, and approves the rates that will be charged to customers.

ATCO Gas recovers a portion of the allowed revenue from all customers through a fixed charge applied to each day within a charge period. The remainder of the allowed revenue is collected through a variable and demand charge collected per gigajoule of natural gas consumed.

Why do I pay a delivery charge even when I use no gas?

If you don't use any natural gas during a billing period, you will not pay a variable delivery charge. You will pay the fixed delivery charge because ATCO Gas still has to read your meter, provide consumption information to your retailer, operate your local service office, provide emergency response, and have all the facilities there to ensure natural gas is available when you need it. Like cable television and telephone lines, there are costs for the infrastructure whether you watch TV or not.

What is the annual consumption for an average residential home?

An average residential single family dwelling uses approximately 120 GJ annually. Actual consumption will vary based on:

• size of home
• age of home
• quality of insulation in the attic, basement and walls
• energy efficiency of appliances (natural gas furnace, hot water heater, etc.)
• energy conservation practices

An average residential home will use more natural gas for home heating during the period of late fall through early spring as shown in the table below. Actual annual consumption for your home may vary and can only be confirmed through accurate measurement. For energy saving information and tips, visit www.atcoenergysense.com or call toll free at 310-7283.

What are the Production Rider and the Storage Rider? (South Only)

The Production Rider relates to the difference between the market value of the gas produced from the production facilities owned by ATCO Gas in the south and the royalty cost of gas.

The Storage Rider relates to the use of the storage facility owned by ATCO Gas in the south by third parties.

We do not own production or storage facilities in the North, so there is no Production Rider or Storage Rider for our North customers.

What is the Production and Storage Charge? (South Only)

ATCO Gas has isolated costs related to production and storage activities in a separate charge.

What is a Municipal Franchise Fee/Charge?

This fee is set by your municipality, partly as a charge for locating facilities on municipal rights of way. ATCO Gas remits this amount to your local town or city.