Congratulations to our $5,000 prize draw winner Mark McGinley, a Halifax homeowner. Mark’s name was entered into a draw for a chance to win $5,000 as one of the residents that signed up and converted their homes to natural gas before July 1, 2011!
Please click here for full document. Should you wish to read the content of the General Tariff Application submitted to the Board on June 15, 2011 please click GTA.
For Immediate Release
Natural gas retains its substantial cost advantage over other fuel sources
Halifax, Nova Scotia (June 15, 2011) – Heritage Gas is filing a general tariff application (“GTA”) today
with the NSUARB. The GTA is required under the Gas Utilities Act of Nova Scotia when Heritage Gas is
asking for an increase in rates charged to its customers to cover the cost of delivery service.
Heritage Gas bills to customers have two components. The delivery service portion covers the cost of
building, operating and maintaining the natural gas distribution system. The bill also includes the cost
of natural gas supply, which is at cost without markup. Natural gas supply charges on the bill are not
regulated by the NSUARB.
Since the company’s inception in 2003, distribution rates have been set at levels that are less than what
is required to recover the full cost of service, with the shortfall in the recovery of the revenue
requirement being deferred to a Revenue Deficiency Account (“RDA”). This RDA mechanism allows time
for Heritage Gas’ “greenfield” distribution system to develop. This mechanism has been used in other
jurisdictions where, like in Nova Scotia, the development of distribution infrastructure has been
financed by mainly private rather than public investment.
Read more
Jim Bracken
President, Heritage Gas Limited
June 6, 2011
Thank you Steve, and thank you Rebekah for having me here to speak this morning.
Gas is good. To be specific, natural gas is good. I’d even say – sexy. And people love it.
Really. They do. What cook – I mean what serious cook – wouldn’t desire a natural gas stove over an electric one.
People who use gas to heat their homes are loving it all the way to the bank. Companies using it are saving thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands or, for a couple, millions of dollars in fuel costs annually.
And anyone wanting to use clean, affordable energy has to have a twinkle in their eye for the environmental benefits of natural gas. The fact is that every day more Nova Scotians are telling us, and telling our regulator that they want to join in the natural gas love-fest.
Ok, I’m overstating this a bit to make a point. But there is serious – and I do mean serious – demand for natural gas by people and businesses all over Nova Scotia. That’s a beautiful thing when you run a young, rapidly growing natural gas distribution company.
So for those of you who are not yet smitten, here’s what is turning on all of these natural gas lovers: Collectively, Heritage Gas customers saved over $30 million on their energy bills in 2010 alone. Our customers have reduced their energy bills by 35% to 60%.
Another hugely attractive quality of natural gas is its low carbon content. This means that when it is burned it releases far less carbon dioxide – or greenhouse gas— into the environment than coal or oil.
In addition, it might surprise you to know that, since we started in 2003, by choosing natural gas our customers have reduced CO2 emissions by over 108,000 tonnes to the end of 2010. That’s like taking 21,000 vehicles from Nova Scotia’s highways.
So if all this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings – or purse-strings - consider the role natural gas has to play as a vital part of our province’s world-beating renewable energy strategy.
Read more
Click here for Rate Application document.
Heritage Gas Limited Hearing - Fairview, Clayton Park, Bayers Lake and Bedford Expansion Project
Attention business owners and homeowners having access to natural gas: To avoid paying winter installation costs for natural gas service, ensure you are signed up and have all applicable monies paid by September 1, 2010. Sign up refers to having the DSA completed and all applicable monies paid to Heritage Gas. Service requests after September 1, 2010 are subject to winter installation costs and the installation is weather dependant. Contact a sales representative today so you don’t miss out!
Heritage Gas would like to advise you that a new national minimum energy performance standard for residential gas furnaces will go into effect on December 31, 2009. This standard will apply to virtually all gas furnaces sold in Canada and will require a minimum fuel efficiency level of 90%. This level of efficiency is achieved by using well-established "condensing technology" where the products of combustion are vented through a plastic pipe, most commonly routed through a side wall.
Read more