Frequently Asked Questions - General Bill

What is a customer charge?

The customer charge helps cover the costs of supplying equipment used to serve customers, issuing bills and providing customer service programs.

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Why is my bill so high?

There are many reasons a bill appears high, including changes in the amount of energy you use, the effects of weather and changes in rates. When trying to determine why your bill is high, first compare this year's energy usage to year last year's usage on your bill. In addition, a section of the bill will tell you the relative impact of outside temperatures on your bill. For example, if temperatures were colder than last year, you can expect your heating bill to be correspondingly higher. Call our customer service representatives if you're unsure and would like a more thorough analysis of your bill.

Also, natural gas prices fluctuate quite a bit, especially during the winter. WPSC doesn't own natural gas fields, so we must buy natural gas from suppliers. Because prices on the market are generally lower in summer, that's when we purchase much of the gas we expect customers to use during the winter. We store the gas in a storage facility and then draw from it during the winter. However, we must also purchase gas on the market to supplement our stored supply. If market prices are high, customers' bills could be correspondingly higher.

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I have problems paying my bill. What should I do?

From time to time, many customers experience financial problems that make paying their bill on time difficult. We care about our customers and we'd like to work with you.

If you have a past-due balance, you can use our online payment arrangements option to schedule payments and bring your account up to date.

If you prefer, you can contact us and speak to a customer service representative. The more quickly you contact us, the more likely we'll be able to make arrangements that work for you and for the company. If your problem is temporary, we're confident we can reach a suitable agreement. If your problem is likely to last for some time, one of our experienced professionals can work with you to explore payment assistance options, as well as to work with you to improve your current financial and personal situation.

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Do you accept credit cards?

Yes. With Immediate Payment, you can pay your WPSC bill with your credit card, debit card or checking account today!

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What's a Therm?

Natural gas is billed using an energy unit called a therm. A therm is equal to 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs), or approximately 100 cubic feet (1 CCF) of gas. Your meter measures the volume of gas you use in hundreds of cubic feet. Each month, that volume is converted into therms by a BTU Factor that accounts for the actual energy produced by each CCF.

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What is the Fixed Charge that appears on my bill?

The Fixed Charge covers many costs of safe, reliable delivery. Some customers wonder why WPSC includes a Fixed Charge at all.

They view it as a charge "for nothing" and would prefer to be billed based strictly on their gas use, but that doesn't take into consideration everything that's involved in providing natural gas service. Many costs of providing gas service are fixed. That is, they exist regardless of how much gas a customer uses. Fixed costs include such things as:

• The gas piping that's required to deliver gas.
• Labor and supplies required to maintain the gas main
• Labor and supplies to read the meter
• Qualified people to respond to gas emergencies

The Fixed Charge is designed to partially cover these fixed costs, which aren't directly related to the amount of gas used. When fixed costs are collected based on the amount of gas a customer uses-rather than through a Fixed Charge-mismatches can occur between the actual costs of the service and the bills customers receive.

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