Image: FortisBC

By Mike Vanden Bosch

FortisBC

FortisBC gas bills to change on July 1

Jun 23, 2025 | 7:14 AM

SURREY — Surrey-based FortisBC says it has received approval from B.C.’s energy regulator to have more gas it supplies to homes designated as Renewable Natural Gas, a move the energy company acknowledges will result in a price increase to customer bills.

In a news release dated June 18, the company says the B.C. Utilities Commission approved its plan to maintain the cost of gas rate for its customers at $2.230 per gigajoule as of July 1.

What’s also happening on July 1, however, is that all FortisBC customers will have three per cent of their gas supply designated as RNG through the designated RNG blend, up from two per cent. The increase to the designated RNG blend has been approved on an interim basis. The BCUC reviews FortisBC’s cost of gas and voluntary RNG program rates every three months.

“We understand that affordability and reliability are top priorities for many of the families and businesses we serve in British Columbia,” said Sarah Nelson, director of customer service at FortisBC. “That’s why we remain committed to keeping rates as low as possible while ensuring reliable energy service and supporting progress on climate action goals.”

Approved on an interim basis, the increase in the designated RNG blend means there will be a slight increase to the storage and transport rate. This action will result in an overall approximate annual increase of 2.9 per cent for customers in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior, North, Whistler, Vancouver Island, Revelstoke and the Kootenays, and approximately 3.5 per cent annually for customers in Fort Nelson.

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Adding RNG to North America’s gas system does not require customers to change (or retrofit) any of their existing gas appliances or equipment. The designated RNG blend is included in the storage and transport line item on customer bills. The adjustment has received interim approval from the BCUC and is subject to further review. FortisBC will continue to offer the voluntary RNG program so customers can choose to designate up to 100 per cent of the gas they use as RNG, inclusive of the three per cent designated blend.

FortisBC says it acquires gas at market-based prices, and factors like supply and demand, weather and economic conditions affect the price of gas in North America. FortisBC does not mark up the cost of natural gas, so customers pay what it pays.

Customers who have questions about their bill are encouraged to reach out. FortisBC’s customer service team can answer billing questions, provide energy-saving tips and offer payment plan solutions that fit individual needs.

In April earlier this year, FortisBC released a statement estimating the average residential gas customer in British Columbia would save hundreds of dollars a year following the elimination of the B.C. carbon tax. FortisBC, which provides energy to over one million residents of B.C., said it would remove the carbon tax starting April 1, 2025, following the B.C. government’s passage of new legislation to eliminate the carbon tax, which will benefit customers by helping to reduce their gas bills.

FortisBC says as it implements this change, customers will see the consumer carbon tax removed from their bills for natural gas, renewable natural gas or propane consumed on, or after April.

The company also says because the consumer carbon tax is ending, the biomethane credit on RNG, which offsets the carbon tax charged on RNG, will also end.

For the average FortisBC residential gas customer using about 7.5 gigajoules of gas per month, eliminating the consumer carbon tax represents a savings of just over 23 per cent, or approximately $29.89 on their monthly bill, compared with rates as of March 31, 2025. Individual bills and savings will vary based on use.

“As a provider of critical energy services for nearly 1.3 million homes and businesses in British Columbia, we have an important role to play in meeting our customers’ energy needs by providing the reliable delivery of affordable energy and advancing the energy transition,” FortisBC said.

For more information about rates and the components that make up a FortisBC gas bill, visit fortisbc.com/rates.