Budget Plan
The budget plan lets you take control of your expenses and avoid the surprise
of seasonally high bills.
The Equitable Gas Company Budget Payment Plan averages your monthly bill and allows
you to pay about the same amount each month. Equitable Gas calculates your budget by
comparing past usage information for your home with projected weather conditions
and rates.
Joining the budget plan is easy. Pay the "Budget Offer" amount shown on your
bill by the due date. If your bill doesn't have a "Budget Offer", call Equitable Gas
at 412-395-3050 to discuss payment options.
Equitable Gas reviews your account every three months and makes necessary adjustments
to the budget amount due. To cancel your budget plan, call or write our business
office.
Quarterly Budget Review
Every three months, Equitable Gas reviews your budget for changes in rates and usage
patterns. This review helps to ensure that your budget stays at the appropriate
amount throughout the year as gas rates or consumption patterns change. If
your gas usage is reduced or increased considerably when compared with historical
usage -- or when a major rate change occurs – your budget will increase or decrease
to reflect these changes.
|
Example: Quarterly Budget Review
|
|
Projected Budget |
|
|
Projected Average Monthly MCF of
Gas to
Be Used Over Budget Year |
|
|
10.0 |
MCF |
|
|
Current Gas Rate |
|
$ |
13.08 |
|
|
|
|
Total Projected Gas Costs |
|
$ |
130.82 |
|
|
|
Monthly Customer Charge |
|
$ |
13.25 |
|
|
|
|
Monthly Projected Budget |
|
$ |
144.07 |
|
|
|
|
Total New Budget |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monthly Projected Budget |
|
$ |
144.07 |
|
|
|
Monthly Budget Adjustment |
|
$ |
5.00 |
|
|
|
|
Total New Budget |
|
$ |
149.07 |
|
|
Revised: October 1, 2009 |
Annual Budget Reconciliation
Once a year, Equitable Gas reviews your budget by comparing the budget payments you
made with your total gas charges. Your account balance is the difference between
the amount you have paid and your total charges for gas. To adjust for this difference,
Equitable Gas divides the balance by 12 and adds that number to your projected budget
(see example). Equitable Gas does not ask you to make a lump sum payment, but spreads
the balance over next year's program as an Adjustment to your Projected Budget.
If your account balance is a credit, the budget amount is reduced over the next
12 months in the same way.
|
Example: Annual Budget Reconciliation
|
|
Projected Budget
|
|
|
Projected Average Monthly MCF of
Gas to
Be Used Over Budget Year |
|
|
10.0 |
MCF |
|
|
Current Gas Rate |
|
$ |
13.08 |
|
|
|
|
Total Projected Gas Costs |
|
$ |
130.82 |
|
|
|
Monthly Customer Charge |
|
$ |
13.25 |
|
|
|
|
Monthly Projected Budget |
|
$ |
144.07 |
|
|
|
|
Budget Adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current Gas Account Balance |
|
$ |
60.00 |
|
|
|
Number of Months in Budget Year |
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
Monthly Budget Adjustment |
|
$ |
5.00 |
|
|
|
|
Total New Budget |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monthly Projected Budget |
|
$ |
144.07 |
|
|
|
Monthly Budget Adjustment |
|
$ |
5.00 |
|
|
|
|
Total New Budget |
|
$ |
149.07 |
|