The Equal Payment Plan (EPP) provides residential customers with a way to spread their natural gas costs over an entire year. By reviewing your last year's annual natural gas consumption levels (or that of the former occupant at your address), we are able to estimate your gas bills for future months and bill you in 11 equal payments. (Adjustments higher or lower may be necessary if your gas usage or our rates vary greatly from the original estimate. Significantly warmer or colder weather may also require a billing adjustment.)
At the end of the plan period, in the 12th month, we "settle up" your account with actual billed natural gas usage versus what was estimated.
If you overpaid, we refund the money or credit your account.
If you paid too little, you are billed for the balance.
We read your meter each month to determine actual natural gas usage and include that information on your bill along with the monthly EPP payment.
This billing program has more value than ever in a higher price environment.
If you have a past due balance and are having difficulty paying your bill, you may be eligible to enroll in the Equal Payment Plan to lower your monthly payment. EPP spreads your gas bills -- plus the past due amount -- over the next 11 months.
If you are an EPP customer and had a credit at the time of your recent settle-up month, you may be wondering why your EPP amount has increased.
EPP amounts are based on normal weather conditions. Last winter's weather was milder than normal. Despite December 2006's very warm weather, overall, weather conditions this winter were colder than last year. For this reason, EPP amounts increased. For specific information on your account, view the bill analyzer to compare your natural gas usage during last winter's weather to this year's extremely variable winter weather.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) updated winter heating fuels forecast was released March 6, 2007. EIA adjusted its price forecast for all winter heating fuels upward in all regions of the country due to February's unusually cold weather. In general, the amount of these increases was not large, particularly when spread across the October 1 through March 31 winter heating season. Please note that weather from mid-January through February was much colder than normal.
U.S. Energy Information Administration's Forecast for Home Heating Costs Winter 2006-07:
South
Northeast
Midwest
West
U.S. Average Costs (Projected % change from winter 2005-06)
Natural Gas
$840
$1101
$889
$572
$831 (-12%)
Heating Oil
$887
$1448
$1179
$875
$1432 (+.1%)
Electricity
$882
$1323
$855
$764
$828 (+6%)
Propane
$1236
$1855
$1284
$1354
$1348 (+5%)
Source: EIA Winter Heating Fuels Short Term Outlook, March 6, 2007
