Cost of gas to remain the same for FortisBC customers on October 1

SURREY, BC, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) customers will see no change to their gas rates for the remainder of 2026. The company has received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to maintain the cost of gas rate for its customers at $1.660 per gigajoule (GJ) as of October 1.

The Renewable Natural Gas¹ (RNG) rate for customers subscribed to the voluntary designated RNG program² will also stay the same at $8.66 per GJ. 

Historical data for Mainland and Vancouver Island (including North and South Interior and Whistler)

"We understand that energy costs are important for our customers' budgets and this news will help provide some certainty for the families and businesses we serve," said Sarah Nelson, director of customer service. "Even with the cost of gas staying the same, we're here to help if you have questions about your bill. Our dedicated customer service team is ready to answer billing questions, provide energy-saving tips and offer personalized solutions to meet your needs."

FortisBC acquires gas at market-based prices, and factors like supply and demand, weather and economic conditions affect the price of gas in North America. It does not mark up the cost of gas, so its customers pay what it pays. The BCUC reviews FortisBC's cost of gas rates every three months and will review them next in December.

FortisBC purchases natural gas primarily from Canadian suppliers – about 75 per cent of its supply is from British Columbia and approximately 25 per cent from Alberta.³ Given the close proximity to Western Canada's natural gas supply, FortisBC's customers are well-positioned to access one of the lowest-cost supplies of natural gas over the long term.⁴

Tips on low-cost and no-cost ways that can help customers lower their energy use are available on FortisBC's website. Customers can also use My energy use, through Account Online, which provides them with a better understanding of their home's energy use and ways they can lower it. They can use the rebates and offers finder to find even more ways to help save energy and manage costs.

For more information about rates and the components that make up a FortisBC gas bill, visit fortisbc.com/rates.

About FortisBC Energy Inc.

FortisBC Energy Inc. is a regulated utility focused on providing safe, reliable and affordable energy, including natural gas and propane and continuing to acquire lower carbon energy, such as natural gas designated as Renewable Natural Gas. FortisBC Energy Inc. employs around 2,238 British Columbians and serves approximately 1,104,500 customers across British Columbia. FortisBC Energy Inc. owns and operates two liquefied natural gas storage facilities and approximately 51,870 kilometres of gas transmission and distribution lines. FortisBC Energy Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electricity and gas utility industry. FortisBC Energy Inc. uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. For further information on FortisBC Energy Inc., visit fortisbc.com. For further information on Fortis Inc., visit fortisinc.com.

BACKGROUNDER

Historical data for Mainland and Vancouver Island (including North and South Interior and Whistler)

Items on a residential gas customer's bill

Daily or monthly basic charge

The basic charge is a flat fee that partially recovers the fixed costs of our system, whether or not customers are using any gas, as long as they are connected to the system.

Delivery charge

The delivery charge is based on consumption and pays for the cost of safely and reliably delivering gas through our system to our customers' homes and businesses. This helps cover the costs of maintaining our gas distribution system, provides a return to our investors and funds improvements to meet customers' needs. Delivery charges are reviewed by the BCUC annually.

Storage and transport charge

The storage and transport charge reflects the prices we pay to other companies to store and transport gas through their pipelines and infrastructure. We do not mark up these costs, and they are reviewed quarterly and set semi-annually by the BCUC. The storage and transport charge also includes the cost of the designated RNG blend.

Cost of gas rates

Every three months, FortisBC reviews the cost of gas and voluntary designated RNG program rates with the BCUC to make sure rates passed on to customers cover the cost of the commodity purchased on their behalf. We do not mark up the cost of gas, so customers pay what we pay. Factors affecting the market price of gas in North America include weather, supply and demand and economic conditions.

Other charges and taxes

Other charges and taxes include the B.C. Clean Energy Levy, Goods and Services Tax and, in some municipalities, a municipal operating fee. These charges are set by various levels of government and collected by FortisBC on their behalf. FortisBC does not gain revenue from these charges.

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	^1 Renewable Natural Gas (also called "RNG") is produced from biogas at dedicated RNG production facilities. Biogas is derived from decomposing organic waste at landfills or agricultural and other organic waste such as wastewater from treatment facilities. The biogas is captured, upgraded and processed to create RNG that is added to existing energy infrastructure. This means we're unable to direct RNG to a specific customer. However, because RNG displaces conventional natural gas, the more RNG that is added to the gas system, the less conventional natural gas is used.
	^2 Excluding commercial and industrial vehicle voluntary RNG rates under Rate Schedule 3VRNG, 5VRNG, and 46, which are reviewed by the BCUC annually.
	^3 FortisBC. (2026, March 27). FEI 2026 Long Term Gas Resource Plan, p. 6-2.
	^4 FortisBC. (2026, March 27). FEI 2026 Long Term Gas Resource Plan, p. ES-9.

SOURCE FortisBC Energy Inc.

MEDIA CONTACT: Gary Toft, Senior corporate communications advisor, FortisBC, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], fortisbc.com, 24-hour media line: 1-855-322-6397