Understanding your natural gas bill.
The new NW Natural bill is here!
We've been working on a design to make your bill simpler to read and added new details that answer the most common questions. On the new bill, you will see:
- A new graph that shows your energy use for the current and previous years, so you know how your energy use is trending over time.
- Information that highlights important differences between bills, such as changes in the number of days in a billing cycle and average temperature.
- At a glance, if you used less or more energy than the month before, letting you gauge the results of your energy-saving efforts.
How to read your natural gas bill
Follow the key below to help understand your natural gas bill each month. If you have questions about how your bill is calculated or what's included on it, please contact customer service at 800-422-4012, 7am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. NW Natural’s customer service team can also assist you in additional languages by interpreter.
A. At a glance, see the amount due, due date, ways to pay and billing-program enrollment
B. The graph shows up to 24 months of gas use history. It also compares current year gas use to the previous year gas use.
C. The different-colored boxes contain information to help you compare the following:
- Compare gas use in therms to the previous month and to this month last year.
- Compare the average outdoor temperature to the previous month and to the same month last year.
- Compare the change in the number of days in a billing cycle to the previous month. More days in a billing cycle could increase the typical bill amount.
The colors and arrows represent:
- Green = good, information that may decrease your bill
- Orange = be aware, information that may increase your bill
- Blue = neutral, general information to know
Common billing terms
Billing factor
Late payment charge
Payment due date
Therms
Units of Gas
How your gas bill is calculated
Our rates are regulated and approved by the Public Utility Commission of Oregon (OPUC) and the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC). The current charges on your bill are based on up to five components.
Monthly service or minimum charge
Gas usage cost
Smart Energy program charge
Local taxes
Public purpose charge
For every dollar you paid on your gas bill, your money went to:
Overall, about 90% of your bill goes toward the cost of gas, delivery and the services provided to you as a customer, with the remaining 10% going toward regulated rate of return on NW Natural’s investment in the gas system.
Natural gas rates over time
Despite this period of extraordinary market conditions,
NW Natural customers are still paying less than they did 15 years ago for their natural gas bills.