Home heating costs during the cold winter months can put a strain on your cash flow. An Equalized Payment Plan lets you spread out your natural gas costs over the entire year so you pay the same amount each month. Enbridge Gas New Brunswick (EGNB) offers an Equalized Payment Plan for eligible residential and commercial customers!
Residential customers may request and start the Equalized Payment Plan at any time during the year.
Commercial Customers must request and start the Equalized Payment Plan during the months of March- August.
Customers eligible for the Equalized Payment Plan include new and existing customers in the following rate classes:
Existing customers must demonstrate good payment history and have no outstanding arrears older than 30 days.
Equalized payment amounts must include:
- Monthly customer charge
- Gas distribution charges
- Gas commodity charges (includes those who use Enbridge Utility Gas, EGNB Fixed Price Product or a non-EGNB gas marketer whose customers’ commodity charges appear on the monthly EGNB bill)
- Related taxes
Heating and Cooling Protection Plan charges, one time charges (by EGNB and other vendors), finance plans, late payment penalties, jobbing contracts, and the related taxes, are not included in the equalized payment amounts. They are added to the bill for the month in which these charges apply.
The equalized payment amount is calculated by multiplying the customer's average monthly use in the preceding year by the current eligible charges when the payment amount is established. If a full year of history is not available, EGNB estimates use and establishes payment amounts.
You should monitor the Equalized Payment Plan information (actual gas charges billed to date versus Equalized Payment Plan installments billed to date) included on your monthly bill. While EGNB tries to have your Plan amount closely reflect your annual gas charges, changes in the volume of natural gas you use or a change in the price of your natural gas contract with your gas marketer can lead to significant variances at the end of the year.
If EGNB's natural gas prices change significantly throughout the year or the weather is much colder than anticipated (which means your furnace will use more gas to heat your home), a review and payment adjustment may be conducted to help avoid significant variances.
If you are concerned that your Equalized Payment Plan may have a significant variance, which could lead to a large year-end adjustment, please contact us at 1-800-994-2762 to discuss your Plan and any necessary adjustments.
- It’s the first full year on the Equalized Payment Plan in your current residence. You patterns of natural gas use were not well known at the time that the plan amount was established.
- Meter readings at the time that the Plan amount was established were based on several estimated readings.
- A change in your gas supply price or a switch in gas marketer. The plan amount is based on the annual gas charges from the previous year. Any changes mid-year or during the current your may not be reflected in the monthly payment.
- Lifestyle changes in your home have impacted your annual gas use. For example, a new baby in the household, an illness or retirement may all result in increase gas use.
- Additional natural gas appliances such as a range, water heater, fireplace or pool heater have been added to the annual volume of gas use.
Accounts are reviewed quarterly. If it is estimated that the annual equalized payment amount will be less than or greater than 10% of the annual actual gas charges, the customer’s equalized payment amount will be adjusted. Should any adjustments be required, EGNB will modify the equalized payment amount on the following month’s bill. Customers will be advised of this change through an on-bill message.
Every twelve months, the equalized payment amount will be revised to reflect the most recent annual charges and recent or expected additions to customer use and changes in prices.
Customers will automatically be renewed in the Equalized Payment Plan, unless requested otherwise no later than 30 days before the end of each twelfth month.
Customers with an unsatisfactory payment history may be removed at any time, at EGNB's sole discretion, from the Equalized Payment Plan.
If an account is in arrears for a period greater than two billing cyces customers are removed from the plan and any outstanding credits or balance owed will be applied to the next bill.
To re-apply, the account must be in good standing for a period of 12 months.