Understanding Your Bill

Utility bills aren't always easy to understand. This guide walks you through your energy usage and breaks down the charges that add up to your total, helping you understand what you’re paying for each month.

Understanding Your Bill

Utility bills aren't always easy to understand. This guide walks you through your energy usage and breaks down the charges that add up to your total, helping you understand what you’re paying for each month.

Explore each section below for a closer look at how your bill is calculated, what different charges mean, and answers to common questions. Our goal is simple: to give you the information you need to manage your natural gas bill with confidence.

1. Service Address

Where your gas service is provided (may be different from your mailing address).

2. Bill Amount & Due Date

How much you owe and when your bill is due.

3. Your Account Number

Specific to your service location, this number is used when requesting account information or making payments.

4. What Do I Need to Know?

Important updates, alerts, and messages.

5. What Have I Used?

Information about your usage, including meter readings, billing cycle length, and how your consumption is calculated.

6. Your Monthly Gas Usage

A summary of your usage over the past 13 months (if available).

7. What Makes Up My Bill

A detailed summary of charges included in your bill:

A. Balances and Payments: Includes your previous balance (prior to the current bill), payments you have made, applicable credits or late fees, date of last payment, and your balance forward (total outstanding balance).

B. Delivery and Service Charges: Cost to deliver gas to your home or business, and other customer charges.

C. Supply Charges: Gas Supply Rate (GSR) is the cost of the natural gas itself. The cost is a direct pass-through with no markup from Summit Utilities.

D. Tax and Other Charges: Applicable local, city, county, and state taxes.

8. Payment Stub

If paying by mail, please return the payment stub with your payment.

Terms to Know

CCF: Unit for measuring natural gas consumption. One CCF equals 100 cubic feet of natural gas.

HDD (Heating Degree Day): HDDs are a weather-based calculation that compares the average of high and low temperatures each day (as reported by the National Weather Service) to the standard average daily temperature (65 degrees) when natural gas heating is typically used. HDDs adjust your bill to reflect typical weather, helping ensure costs are based on average weather conditions rather than unusual temperature swings.

Pressure Factor and Correction: Adjustments made to accurately determine your gas consumption for billing purposes.

SUA_How to Read My Bill_Numbered Diagram

How Your Natural Gas Bill Is Calculated

Delivery and Service Charges

Covers the cost of bringing natural gas to your home or business. These charges support Summit’s infrastructure maintenance, customer service, and commitment to providing safe, reliable service.

Supply Charges

The cost of natural gas is listed on your bill as GSR—the Gas Supply Rate. This covers what we pay for gas from regional suppliers, the fixed costs to deliver it, and a routine balance adjustment called a true-up. A true-up is a small adjustment that helps ensure customers pay no more and no less than the actual cost of the gas purchased on their behalf over time.

Taxes and Other Charges

Includes any applicable local, city, county, and state taxes and charges.

How Natural Gas Prices Are Determined

The Gas Supply Rate (GSR) is shaped by regional and national markets, and we pass it directly to you with no markup. We don't control the market price of natural gas. What we can do is work hard to secure the lowest possible rates for you. To keep things fair and fully transparent, we file all of these rates with our regulators for review.

How Can I Save On My Natural Gas Bill?

We understand that warmth is essential to your comfort and well-being. That’s why we’re committed to connecting you with programs and resources to help you manage your utility bills.