Direct Energy Regulated Services has announced a steep increase in default natural gas rates for November for customers in ATCO Gas North and South service territories who have not chosen a competitive supplier.In both the North and South service areas, rates are jumping from October’s $1.429 per GJ to $2.579 per GJ. The new rates reflect a market price for November supplies of about $2.469 per GJ as reported by NGX, plus an adjustment of $0.109 per GJ for October and previous months.For typical residential customers, this increase translates to an estimated November bill of $139 in the North, covering 14 GJ of consumption, and $122 in the South. Differences in typical bills between the two regions are due to variances in transmission and distribution service provider charges levied by ATCO Gas.The Alberta Utilities Commission has verified the method Direct Energy Regulated Services uses to calculate the rates. Customers seeking alternative options can find information on competitive retailers and regulated gas supply at the Alberta government’s customer choice website: www.ucahelps.gov.ab.ca
