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Service in your area Shared meter information Our access policies Winter price outlook Savings Calculator Home Energy Assistance Program
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Residential serviceSt. Lawrence Gas has seven classes of service, with different rates for each class of service. Residential service is classified as Service Classification No. 1. For residential service, the space utilizing gas service must be primarily for living space. Some commercial activity is permitted, as long as less than 25% of the cubic space in the building is used for non-residential activities, such as a beauty salon, or a craft shop. It does not matter if the property is income-producing property, in the case of rental property. Certain religious organizations, veteran’s organizations, and certain community residences are allowed to obtain service at residential rates. A complete description can be found in the St. Lawrence Gas Tariff, P.S.C. No. 3 – Gas, Leaf No. 258 - 263. Follow these steps for gas serviceIf you are moving to a home or apartment and you wish to change the gas service to your name, you can sign-up for service on our website. If you are requesting a new gas line to be installed, you will be asked to sign all the appropriate paperwork. Your service line will be normally installed within seven weeks during our construction season (May – October). Before your Residential natural gas service can be used, follow the steps below:
Call Before You Dig - It's the LawDig Safely Service “Street Locator”Wondering if there is natural gas service where your home or business is located? Just click here, select the community you would like to check, and you will access an alphabetical list of streets where we have gas service. Since we didn’t include street numbers, you might have to call us to confirm the availability of service. Residential gas pricesThe price our customers pay for natural gas, which can change from month to month, includes a number of different elements, such as:
The unit of measure for the cost is a therm. One therm is equivalent to 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs). One BTU is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Comparisons with Other FuelsThe above price of natural gas, compared with other sources of fuel, is displayed below. These comparisons are based on information we collect from other suppliers in our local market and therefore may be subject to variation. A typical home uses 1,232 therms per year. Multiply the savings per therm by the "Difference from Gas" to calculate an average annual savings based on current rates.
Current Energy Rates (Natural Gas converted to a per gallon or per KWh rate)
Natural Gas Price OutlookOver the last decade or so, America has relied increasingly on natural gas to generate electric power to meet the demands of a growing technology based society and at the same time meet clean air standards. Hurricanes have played havoc with gas producing fields in the Gulf of Mexico at times, and in the next breath, Mother Nature turns around and provides relief with a warmer than normal heating season. For all these variables, natural gas prices rise and fall on the commodities exchange markets as supply and demand fluctuates. It is difficult to provide long-range price predictions given the number of variables. St. Lawrence Gas uses a diversified supply portfolio that does not rely solely on wholesale market prices. Instead, our supply portfolio includes gas purchased during the summer and stored for use in winter, gas obtained through hedged price contracts and gas purchased at market prices. The storage gas and hedged prices usually will tend to lower customers winter bills while the market supply will be based on North American supply and demand. For the 2006-2007 heating season, St. Lawrence Gas expects that natural gas will continue to be the most economical energy source. As commodity prices rise or fall, it is important to keep in mind that St. Lawrence Gas can not profit from the price of natural gas. As a regulated utility, St. Lawrence Gas is prohibited from making any profit on the price of natural gas. If we purchase the gas for $1.00 we sell it for $1.00 and if it costs us $2.00, we sell it for $2.00. High natural gas prices do not benefit St. Lawrence Gas. All of our revenue is derived from the Distribution Charges portion of your gas bill, and these rates are regulated by the New York State Public Service Commission. Our current distribution rates are fixed until at least December 2009. St. Lawrence Gas has been and will continue to be your best energy value. In fact you can use our savings calculator to compare our rates with those of our competitors. Our rates change monthly to reflect current market conditions and prices of the natural gas commodity. Our savings calculator uses our current monthly rates. While we cannot control the market price of natural gas, we can help our customers manage their energy costs by providing energy conservation tips and offering payment options such as budget billing and/or automatic deductions from your bank account. For those in need of assistance, we can provide direction to agencies providing financial aid, such as HEAP, or we can offer a Deferred Payment Arrangement on arrears balances to qualified customers. Landlord informationIf you are a landlord, you might want to consider maintaining continuous gas service at your rental property. You have the choice of several options with this program:
This option will ensure that if a tenant requests gas service to be disconnected, or if a tenant's service is disconnected for non-payment, service can be maintained and switched to your name. To take advantage of this program, you need to complete and return the Landlord Agreement Application. See complete details on the application form.
Shared meter informationA "shared meter" is a situation where a tenant's natural gas service is being used outside the tenant's dwelling. For example, assume that a tenant is on the second floor and a landlord is on the first floor. If the gas used to heat the basement (where the tenant has no access) is coming from the tenant's meter, a shared meter condition exists. New York State law addresses this situation and protects the tenant. Please contact us if you suspect that you have a Shared Meter. Senior citizensIf you are 62 years of age or older, we will make every effort to maintain natural gas service to you and any other household members. You may also designate a third party to be notified if a bill is overdue and service is scheduled to be shut off. Adobe Acrobat Reader is necessary to view this document. Download it for free by clicking the icon below. 
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)HEAP provides grants (up to $400 per grant) paid directly toward your residential St. Lawrence Gas heating bill. You may be eligible for up to two grants this heating season. St. Lawrence Gas encourages all of its residential customers to call the numbers below early, as funds are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is also a furnace repair/replacement grant program. To apply (after November 1st), St. Lawrence county residents can call 379-2303, 379-2373, 379-2116 or 379-2342 and Lewis County residents can call 376-5400. Income guidelines are:
Our access policiesAn individual that is at least 18 years old, must be on premise before employees of St. Lawrence Gas will access your home or business. This individual must be on-site for the duration of our visit. Employees of the Company are required to have their identification badges available to present to you prior to entering a premise. Frequently asked questionsInstalling gas pipe underground from your meter.You can use natural gas for many applications, including heat for a detached garage, a pool heater, or a BBQ grill. In these applications, underground piping is often required. Since this piping is beyond the outlet of the gas meter, it falls outside of the utility’s responsibility and must be performed by a contractor or the customer, at the customer’s expense. The New York State Public Service Commission, however, charges gas utilities with the responsibility to regularly survey customer-owned underground piping for signs of corrosion or leaks. Because of this requirement, St. Lawrence Gas has a procedure that must be followed to insure that the gas pipe is installed safely and that it can be located when necessary. You and/or your contractor are encouraged to view the St. Lawrence Gas Underground Piping Requirements for more information. Adobe Acrobat Reader is necessary to view this document. Download it for free by clicking the icon below. |
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