Provincial posted Mar 20, 2023 @ 07:23am by Cheyanna Lorraine

FortisBC rates to see slight decrease in April

Residents across BC who use natural gas will see their monthly bills decrease next month.

On Friday, FortisBC said it had received approval from the BC Utilities Commission to decrease the cost of gas rates until Jun 30, 2023.

<who> Photo Credit: 123rf </who> Stock image of older gas meter.

Starting April 1, Fortis will be charging $4.159 per gigajoule, which is down $1 from the current rate of $5.159.

Every three months, Fortis reviews the cost of gas rates with the BCUC to make sure rates reflect the market price of purchasing natural gas.

The company says it “flows the cost of gas directly” through customers, so they pay what Fortis pays for the natural gas itself.

For natural gas users in mainland BC and Vancouver Island, including the north and south Interior, Whistler and Revelstoke, average monthly bills are expected to decrease by 7% or about $7.50.

“The cost of gas rate decrease will undoubtedly be welcomed and provide some relief to our customers on their gas bills especially at a time when other living expenses are high,” said Joe Mazza, vice-president, energy supply and resource development at FortisBC.

“Even with the cost of gas decreasing, we understand energy costs are an important consideration in household budgets and we are always here to support our customers if they need it.”

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