Natural gas, the cleanest burning fossil fuel, is composed almost entirely of methane. It’s found in underground reserves throughout the world.

Yes! The fact is, all major forms of energy used to heat homes in the United States are safe, assuming proper installation and use. Moreover, natural gas produces about half as much carbon monoxide as does oil when burned. And because it’s lighter than air, it dissipates quickly in the unlikely event of a release.

In making the decision to switch from oil or propane to natural gas, remember:

• To receive natural gas service, your home must be located within our service area.
• Converting your appliances as well as your heating system to natural gas yields the greatest savings on your energy bills.
• Efficient, clean-burning natural gas means you’ll save on maintenance, too.
• Both large and small homes can save by converting to natural gas. Size and type of home affect only the cost of conversion.

A network of underground piping connects Bangor Gas customers to the U.S. portion of the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. The network is expected to transport more than 530 billion British Thermal Units (BTU) of energy per day from the Sable Island gas fields off of Nova Scotia.

In many cases, we lay pipes by the cut-and-bore method, in which we dig an access hole on the side of the street, drill an underground passageway, and insert the piping, all without disrupting the surface. For streets where a larger pipe is necessary or subsurface conditions dictate, we dig a narrow trench, lay pipes, backfill the trench, compact the soil, and restore the surface.

This is very unlikely! All of our construction crews are operator qualified to follow federal safety guidlines. Gas will flow through the pipeline only when the entire system is in place and has undergone stringent testing.

With state-of-the-art construction, we can complete the piping in front of your home in a matter of hours. In rare cases, it may take as much as a day. Modern techniques often mean little or no disruption to your driveway whatsoever.

Your contractor will:

• Install piping from the meter to your appliances.
• Replace your oil burner with a natural gas burner or replace the orifice nozzle in your propane burner.
• Install a chimney liner, where necessary.
• Repipe and install natural gas water heater, kitchen range, unit heaters, clothes dryer, etc., as desired.

These Bangor area dealers supply natural gas appliances, equipment, parts, and service:

In the Bangor area, these retail dealers carry natural gas appliances:

The following Bangor area wholesale distributors offer natural gas equipment, parts, and supplies:

Very little! Bangor Gas is responsible for the meter, regulator, and underground piping to your home. You’re responsible for your appliances and for the piping after the meter. We will gladly supply a list of other natural gas service contractors.

Natural gas is competitive, making planning and budgeting easier. It is clean and environmentally friendly, therefore, reducing maintenance and service costs. Also, natural gas is efficient, so you get the most for your fuel dollar.

Natural Gas is injected into the pipeline system throughout the Continental United States and delivered to millions of customers throughout the country. The majority of natural gas comes from domestic production, with the remaining supplies imported mainly from Canada, and other storage facilities located throughout the United States. Domestic production and imported natural gas are enough to satisfy the summer demand, but during the cold winter months, additional supplies from storage facilities are necessary to meet the increase in demand. Therefore, Storage is a key factor in the cost of Natural Gas.

Natural gas exploration and development has increased significantly over the past few years, but with the addition of gas-fired power generating facilities, new home construction, and increased use of natural gas resulting from conversion from other energy sources, so has the demand increased for natural gas. Therefore, Production and Demand are key factors in the cost of natural gas.

Weather forecasts are used as a guideline for the amount of natural gas injected into storage facilities, but forecasts are usually uncertain and changes to key factors used to establish the levels of storage could significantly affect the market cost of natural gas. Weather forecasts and storage levels are affected by the following:

• Prolonged cold spells or below normal winter weather.
• Problems that may occur when large users of high cost competing fuels, such as power generating facilities or individual customers, switch to natural gas thus increasing demand.
• Any disruption of the pipeline delivery system or production facilities can affect the availability of deliverable gas.

The cost of Natural Gas is primarily based on two main components:

• Commodity Cost- the cost of natural gas itself. Bangor Gas Company passes the commodity cost of natural gas to you without any additional markup. Our cost of natural gas is your cost of natural gas.
• Transmission Cost– the cost to move natural gas by pipeline from its source to Bangor Gas Company’s interconnect with the interstate pipeline, namely Maritime & Northeast Pipeline.
• Refer to the tab heading Rates and Important Notices for current Bangor Gas Company Transportation and other charges.

For current information on Natural Gas Costs and Futures, please visit eia.gov.

DISCLAIMER

Cautionary Statement Regarding “What affects the cost of Natural Gas?” Bangor Gas Company has made every effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ from the projections, anticipated results, or other expectations expressed in this statement, including, without limitation, the actions by changes in commodity prices, general economic and weather conditions, the uncertainties associated with supply and demand, and changes related to the filings with the MPUC. While the company makes these statements in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that anticipated future results will occur.

Service lines distribute natural gas from the main line into a home or business. A service line is all piping, including associated metering and pressure reducing equipment, that transports gas below grade from a gas main to the outlet flange of the meter assembly located adjacent to the wall of a Customer’s building.

Gas becomes the property of the customer when the gas passes through the customer’s gas meter. The gas then travels to equipment and appliances through customer-owned piping installed by a licensed natural gas service contractor. Customers are responsible for the upkeep of their piping after the meter. A normal delivery pressure for natural gas within a household piping system is under ¼ pound (8” w.c.).

Yes, it’s the Law!** An important part of the safety program for most underground utilities is the operation of a “call-before-you-dig” or a utility-locator service for excavators. In Maine that service is known as Dig Safe. Dig Safe is a free service, funded entirely by Dig Safe’s member utility companies, including Bangor Gas. Prior to digging, excavators can call one telephone number to arrange for marking or other identification of underground facilities, including gas, water, telephone, electric, and cable television lines. To avoid costly damage, promote public safety, and save time and money CALL DIG SAFE.

**To download a complete copy of Dig Safe state laws and rules, please go to digsafe.com – “Laws & Enforcement”.

• If you have a multi-dial gas meter, the dials alternate between a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction. Read dials from left to right.
• If a hand is between two numbers, always select the lower number EXCEPT when the hand is between “0” and “9”. In this case, because the “0” is considered to be a “10”, read the number “9”.
• When the hand looks like it is exactly on a number, look at the dial to the right. If the hand on the dial to the right has passed “0” then read the number that the hand is on. If the hand has not passed the “0” then read the lower number.

Here is a sample meter reading of 6084:

We recommend you do the following:

• Lower your heat thermostat by 3° F to 5° F (health permitting).
• Open drapes and shades during the day and close them during the night to limit the amount of heat that escapes.
• Install or upgrade insulation in your attic and/or walls.
• Caulk and weather strip windows and doors.

Should you be away from your home for several days or weeks.

• Set your gas water heater to pilot or low
• If your water heater is in a heated area, turn it off at the breaker; otherwise lower the temperature setting.
• Turn heaters off for pools and spas and reduce the filter to minimum.
• Turn your heat thermostat to 55° F.

To turn off your gas service, please call the Customer Service Department at least 5 business days in advance.

TOLL FREE
1-800-963-9441
or
LOCAL
1-207-941-9595

Send payments to:

Bangor Gas Company, LLC
P.O. Box 980
Bangor, ME 04402-0980

You will receive a bill every month for your natural gas service.

There could be several reasons, please check the following:

• Is the weather this month colder than last month? Weather flucuations have the most impact on your gas consumption from month to month.
• Has the “energy charge” or the “past gas cost adjustment” rate increased significantly, due to market conditions?
• Has there been an increase in daily functions, such as cooking, clothes drying, longer or more frequent showers?
• Do you have any hot water pipes and /or faucet leaks?
• Have you turned your pool and/or spa heater on or up?

Natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel, which means it’s cleaner than either oil or coal. For this reason, it’s a very popular form of energy among residents, business owners and goverment policy makers.

Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon composed of methane (CH4), which is principally found in underground formations of porous rock. The natural gas used in the United States primarily comes from North America.

The following are properties of natural gas:

• Natural gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless:

For safety reasons, Mercaptan, an odorant with a distinctive “rotten egg” smell, is added to natural gas. The odorant makes gas leaks easy to detect, due to the typical smell.

• Natural gas is nontoxic:

This means inhaling natural gas will not cause ill effects. Heavy concentrations can cause drowsiness and breathing may become difficult.

Before this happens, however, a very strong odor would almost certainly alert you to the presence of gas.

• Natural gas has a very limited range of flammability:

Natural gas is flammable only within a 5-15% gas-to-air mixture. And, it has a very high ignition temperature. The high ignition temperature and the limited flammability range make accidental ignition or combustion unlikely.

• Natural gas is lighter than air:

This means that generally when natural gas is accidentally released into the outside air it will rise and vent harmlessly into the atmosphere, thus dissipating from the site of a leak. When a gas-and -air mixture within the flammable range collects in a confined space, it can accidentally ignite upon a source of ignition.

The smell is the best way to detect a gas leak.

Because natural gas has no odor, Bangor Gas adds mercaptan a harmless odorant to natural gas, so that you will recognize its distinct “rotten egg” smell if there is a leak.

The following is a list of procedures to follow should you ever detect the smell of gas within your home or business.

Following these steps will help ensure your safety as well as others.

• Do not turn on or off any electrical switches or devices.
• Extinguish all open flames. Do not use matches, cigarettes, or lighters.
• Leave the building immediately. Open doors and windows as you exit the building.
• Evacuate to a safe distance.
• Call emergency 911 and/or Bangor Gas Company at (207) 941-9595 or 1-877-427-7911.
• Provide Emergency 911 and/or Bangor Gas Company with:
• i. Your name and call back number
• ii. The address or location of reported gas odor
• iii. Description of where the odor is detected, for example, in the kitchen, outside by the gas meter, etc…

Notify Bangor Gas Company at (207) 941-9595 or 1-877-427-7911 and provide the following information:

1. Your name and call back number
2. The address or location of reported gas odor
3. Description of where the odor is being detected

DO NOT contact us via this website about a gas emergency!

Natural gas is a commodity traded on the open market and its price is not regulated. The price goes up and down based on the balance between supply and demand across North America. There are various factors that influence these price fluctuations. Supply is affected by production and gas stored in inventory and demand is affected by weather and other factors. You can reference the market price of natural gas quoted on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) in various publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, Platts Gas Daily, Inside FERC, and others.

The spot market price is the cost to purchase natural gas on the open market on any given day. Natural gas is traded at a number of market points, known as hubs. For most consumers, the easiest way to track the market price of natural gas is through the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). The business section of most newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal, publishes commodity prices. Also, for current information on Natural Gas Costs and Futures, please visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s website here. East coast trading points that influence New England gas prices include Tennessee Zone 6, Tetco M3, and Dracut.

Please note that price spikes (up or down) in the daily spot market do not represent what Bangor Gas Company consumers are paying for natural gas for two reasons – first Bangor Gas’ prices are set based upon the estimated cost for the next month and secondly Bangor Gas may purchase a portion of its gas other than on a daily basis depending on its contracts and supply needs.

The energy charge, also known as a “commodity charge”, is a rate designed to capture the cost of gas for the current period. The energy charge is calculated based upon natural gas futures for that period plus the historical transportation charges on interstate pipelines to deliver the gas to Bangor Gas’ city gates.

Several key factors affect the price of natural gas:

Storage: Natural gas is injected into the pipeline system throughout the Continental United States and delivered to millions of customers all over the country. The majority of natural gas comes from domestic production, with the remaining supplies imported mainly from Canada, and storage facilities located throughout the United States. The domestic production and imported natural gas are enough to satisfy the summer demand, but during the cold winter months additional supplies from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and storage facilities are necessary to fill the increased demand. Therefore, if the stored levels of gas plus the current production do not appear to be adequate to meet the current demand, prices may increase.

Production: The price of natural gas is affected by the volume of natural gas being produced, the cost of finding and producing natural gas, and the costs associated with bringing it to market. When prices are high this tends to encourage exploration and production of natural gas, which results in additional supply coming on market. Increases in supply will catch up to demand and will lead to a drop in prices, over time.

Weather: Forecasts are used as a guideline for the amount of natural gas injected into storage facilities. If the forecasts call for a cold winter, then the level of stored gas should be higher than normal. However, forecasts are usually uncertain and changes to key factors used to establish the levels of storage could significantly affect the market cost of natural gas. Weather forecasts and storage levels are affected by the following:

• Prolonged cold spells or below normal winter weather.
• Supply problems may occur when high cost competing fuels, non-natural gas power generating facilities, switch to natural gas, thus increasing demand.
• Any disruption of the pipeline delivery system or production facilities can affect the availability of delivered gas.

Not immediately because Bangor Gas Company’s rates are not directly tied to the spot market price. However, under the monthly cost of gas mechanism, each month the cost of gas will change to reflect the estimated future’s price for that month.

In order to recover the costs of purchasing natural gas, Bangor Gas charges its customers a rate based upon forecasts of what the utility expects to pay to purchase gas on behalf of its customers. Rates also include credit or charge amounts necessary so that Bangor Gas collects its actual gas costs for the past month. Gas is sold to customers without a markup. Rates are regulated by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). The MPUC reviews BGC’s gas costs and rates annually.

The PGCA is a reconciliation amount that ensures Customers pay exactly the cost of gas incurred by the utility during the previous period. The actual costs of gas and the revenue received from Customers are recorded in a Gas Cost Balancing Account. The balancing account is a record of the variances between the amount Bangor Gas Company spends to purchase gas for its customers and the amount it collects from customers for the gas resulting in an over- or under- collected balance. Any differences will be flowed back to or collected from customers in the following period. The recovery of prior periods under-collection is subject to a cap to protect Customers from severe fluctuations in their rates.

No. Bangor Gas Company purchases gas on behalf of its customers and passes the cost on to its customers without any mark-up. This is known as a “pass-through” cost. You pay what we pay.

Bangor Gas Company is similar to a delivery company. We recover our costs of operations by charging for the delivery of the product – NATURAL GAS. There is also a monthly fee to cover certain costs such as meter reading, responding to complaints or requests, annual customer maintenance, billing, and other customer related costs.

The spot market price is the cost to purchase natural gas on the open market on any given day. Energy, “commodity”, charge, as expressed in Bangor Gas’ tariff, is a rate designed to capture the cost of gas for the current period.

Just ask! Visit us at 21 Main Street in Bangor, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., give us a call at (207) 941-9595, or e-mail info@bangorgas.com.