Albertans will see lower natural gas bills in August as Direct Energy Regulated Services (DERS) announced a decrease in regulated rates for customers in both the ATCO Gas North and South service areas.For customers who have not chosen a competitive energy provider, the August rate has dropped to $0.834 per gigajoule (GJ), down from $1.097 per GJ in July. The rate reflects a market price of approximately $0.667 per GJ, as reported by the NGX, with an additional $0.167 per GJ adjustment for July and previous months..In the North service territory, which includes areas in and north of Red Deer, a typical residential bill based on 2 GJ of consumption is expected to be around $67.In the South, which includes communities south of Red Deer, the typical August residential bill is estimated at about $53 for the same usage. The difference in billing amounts between the two regions is due to varying transmission and distribution service provider charges set by ATCO Gas.The Alberta Utilities Commission has verified the method DERS uses to determine the monthly rates.
