Union Gas Bill - yikes! :( - is there something better

[Cheap]

39.5% of our gas bill consists of transportation costs to Union Gas, transportation price adjustments, storage, delivery and delivery price adjustments for natural gas that is piped to rental unit.

Does anyone know of a cheaper provider for natural gas? Not necessarily equal billing, but just a cheaper way of getting natural gas?

[Zonny]

Probably where you live would have something to do with it. I'm betting there's not competition like there is with oil.

[Ciel]

I think I am close to being accurate in saying that Union Gas has been a distributor, not a supplier, of gas for about a decade. Those fixed distribution costs are getting up every year--keep an eye for those energy rate board ads in the papers and respond to any rate hikes during the notice period. (Currently there is one such period for Hydro One rates.)
Sunoco and other suppliers have been supplying gas, depending with whom you signed a contract. With Sunoco, there had been a card offering a slight price break on gas at the pumps for your vehicles. But recently, Sunoco sent out a Petro Points card because of last year's flip of Sunoco stations into Petro Can stations. And around that time, news of a lawsuit by Sunoco station franchise owners was in the papers.

Union Gas also spun off its water heater rental business into a separate unit. It also has increasing fixed monthly costs.

I would love to find a way to get off of the utility grids if solar units would supply sufficient power for lights and water and washing appliances, with 2-3 hours daily for tv or computer use. Even if the unit was in the form of those made from beer cans---at the home show, I saw a couple of vendors promoting solar units for residential and commercial use.

[Cheap]

Ciel,

I also support the idea of solar energy. Can you let me know if you hear of a good and practical way of using solar energy in Canada?

Cheap

[vibrantflame]

I know how you feel, except my Union Gas bill is even worse I think. My last bill was $52.44, only $18.14 of that was gas used!! That's over 50% of the bill that is just fees! I don't know how they can get away with it, honestly. And here we live in a rented townhouse so we have no choice but to pay it.