1.

How does natural gas get to my home or business?

Natural gas is delivered to your home or business through a system of underground pipelines. This pipe ends at a gas meter that we will install on the outside of your home or business.

Because natural gas is delivered directly to your property, it is always there, ready for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You won’t have to wait for delivery trucks, clutter up your yard, or use valuable basement space for a storage tank. No interruptions no matter what the weather and no worries about spills.

Natural gas is a Nova Scotia energy source and its right here on your doorstep.

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2.

How is natural gas distributed throughout my home or business?

Natural gas is distributed using materials such as stainless steel, copper, or black iron piping installed in your home or business by a licensed gas technician. New flexible piping and state-of-the-art venting systems mean you have a greater choice of where natural gas appliances can be located. Connections can be easily made for space heating systems, water heaters, fireplaces, cooking equipment, clothes dryers, and barbeques.

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3.

How safe is natural gas?

Natural gas is one of the safest forms of energy available. Because natural gas is 40% lighter than air, it will dissipate harmlessly into the air in the unlikely event of leak.

Heritage Gas adds an odor, similar to the smell of a skunk or rotten eggs, to natural gas so that you’ll quickly know if there’s a problem. This allows even the smallest leaks to be detected, thus enabling repair situations to be identified immediately….your nose is your natural gas leak detector. Our strict safety codes ensure that before delivering gas to any building, we will inspect the installation to ensure that it complies with all the necessary regulations. Natural Gas heats more than half the homes in Canada and is used by schools, hospitals, restaurants, churches and many other businesses safely everyday.

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4.

Who sells natural gas?

Heritage Gas is responsible for the local distribution of natural gas from the main pipeline to the meter at your home or business. You will have the option to purchase natural gas from us and in the future a gas marketer licensed by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

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5.

Who sells and installs natural gas equipment and appliances?

Heritage Gas Authorized Network Members would be pleased to assist you with all your residential and commercial natural gas options.

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6.

Are there any incentives to convert to natural gas?

Yes! The Rebates are funded by three parties - the Province of Nova Scotia through the Natural Gas Market Development Fund, Natural Resources Canada, and Heritage Gas, the local natural gas distribution company. The Natural Gas Equipment Rebate Program is designed to encourage Nova Scotian residential and small business customers to convert to natural gas using the highest efficiency equipment available.

For medium sized business customers there is a Nova Scotia Commercial Energy Conversion Program that provides rebates for commercial customers that make choosing natural gas equipment more efficient and affordable.

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7.

What if my current heating and/or hot water heating system needs to be replaced prior to gas being available in my neighborhood?

You may want to consider installing a propane heating system that is easily convertible to natural gas in the future. Such a system would be classified as “dual-certified” for the use with natural gas, and would have a natural gas conversion kit available from the manufacturer for use at the time of conversion.

Please refer to the maps on the website to see when natural gas will be available in your area.

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8.

If I’m remodeling or building a new home how can I get ready for natural gas?

If you’re remodeling your home or building a new home, you should consider pre-piping your home to accept natural gas heating systems and appliances. For example, you could install natural gas piping throughout the house with termination points where the furnace, water heater, stove, clothes dryer, fireplace, and barbeque would be located in the future. Natural gas shut-off valves can be installed at these termination points to facilitate easy installation of gas equipment when you are ready.

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9.

Do I have to pay to get a natural gas service line connected to my home or business?

In almost all cases, there is no charge for your natural gas service line.

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10.

How much will it cost for me to convert my home heating system to natural gas?

The cost to convert your home will vary based on the size and construction of your home, the age and type of heating system currently in place, and the energy efficiency of the new natural gas equipment selected. Contact a Heritage Gas Authorized Network Member to provide you with a free quote to replace your equipment.

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11.

Do I need to get more than one quote for the installation of equipment?

Heritage Gas recommends that customers get a quote from one of our Authorized Network Members. These companies/contractors are knowledgeable about natural gas options and offer competitive rates. It is important that you are comfortable with your quotation and it is up to you to decide whether you need more than one quote and who you would like to install your equipment.

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12.

Who will service my equipment?

Your Heritage Gas Authorized Network Member chosen by you to complete the installation can also service your natural gas equipment. You can always call Heritage Gas with any safety questions or in an emergency.

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13.

Is it true that natural gas-fired equipment is more efficient than oil-fired equipment?

Yes. Natural gas equipment can be modulated to match the heating requirements at various ambient temperatures. This provides efficiency gains over other equipment and results in savings on fuel costs.

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14.

What is the ENERGY STAR® rating?

ENERGY STAR is the international symbol for energy efficiency. It is a simple way for consumers to identify products that are among the most energy-efficient on the market. Using ENERGY STAR appliances enable consumers to save energy, save money and help protect the environment.

ENERGY STAR qualifying furnaces and boilers and efficiency ratings for fireplaces and water heaters can be found on the Natural Resources Canada website.

15.

What are the costs to a customer of Heritage Gas?

Heritage Gas will bill you monthly for the following:

1. Fixed Monthly Customer Charge of $13.13 for fixed services such as meter reading, billing and 24-hour emergency service, and;
2. Base Energy Charge per GJ of gas used – this covers the transportation cost of getting the natural gas to your home or business;
3. Gas Cost Recovery rate per GJ of gas used – you are only charged for the amount of natural gas you consume.

For more information refer to the explanation on “How to read your gas bill”.

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16.

How often do the Heritage Gas rates change?

The Heritage Gas Fixed Monthly Charge and Base Energy Charge are regulated by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. Heritage Gas must apply to the Board for approval to change these rates. The Gas Cost Recovery rate is reviewed every month and adjusted as required to match the current local market prices for natural gas.

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17.

What is a Gigajoule?

Natural gas is measured and billed in Gigajoules (GJ), which is the metric equivalent to the British Thermal Unit (BTU). A Gigajoule is a unit of energy that has a heat value of approximately 948,000 BTU’s. One GJ is roughly equivalent to 26 litres of heating oil, 39 litres of propane and 277 kWh of electricity.

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18.

Is the natural gas supply secure?

The supply of natural gas is very secure. Sable Island natural gas is our local source of supply and there are other sites off the coast of Nova Scotia that are being drilled for natural gas. We are also connected to a North American natural gas pipeline grid, so you can rest assured that we will not run out of natural gas for your home and business. Another potential new source of supply will come from the proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plants.

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19.

What is natural gas composed of and is it safe for the environment?

Natural Gas is composed mostly of methane. The emissions from methane combustion are carbon dioxide and water. Natural gas emits fewer greenhouse gases than any other fossil fuel.

It also burns more efficiently, so it requires less fuel to produce an equal amount of energy.

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20.

Can I meet the One-Tonne Challenge by switching to natural gas?

By converting your home to natural gas heating and hot water, you and your family will reduce greenhouse emissions significantly. We calculated that a family of four living in an average older home would meet the One-Tonne Challenge just by switching from oil or electricity to natural gas.

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