The Pass Through Charge – Explained!
With energy rates on the up this season, we’ve all been poring over our power bills with the finest of fine toothed combs. And there’s one knot that’s especially hard to unpick. Yep, you’ve guessed it: that pesky pass through charge that determines your natural gas bill! Now, we’ve touched on this riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an alarmingly high price tag before. But now, we’re going to help you compare which bits cost what – and find out how to keep it cheap! So sharpen your pencils, kids! We’re taking on the AGL pass through charge worksheet!
Understanding Your Energy Bill
You’ll know from our previous posts that the pass through charge is a lump sum Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) charges its customers to cover a bundle of different operational costs. Well, AGL has released a handy little Excel worksheet to help you calculate how it all breaks down. So go dig out your most recent gas bill, and let’s get to work! We’ll use this generic one from Gas South to walk you through it.
How to Fill In Your Pass Through Charge Worksheet
You’ll need three bits of info from your bill to begin. Firstly, your DDDC Factor. This is truly the Waldo of your gas bill, in that whilst it’s definitely there, it can be a tough blighter to spot! In our example, see the table marked by the 4 in the red circle? The 0.975 DDDC Factor is in tiny print, right after ‘How We Calculated Your Gas Charges’. Find yours, and put it in the DDDC Factor box at the top of the worksheet.
Next, you’ll need to know if you’re in the Peaking Group, and this won’t always be included on your bill. However, the peaking service only applies if you’re in the Valdosta, Macon, or Atlanta delivery areas. We’ll assume that 123 Fake Ave isn’t… but plug in ‘yes’ for Peaking Pool Charge if that’s you.
And finally, you’ll need to fill in whether or not you receive a Senior Citizens Discount. If you’re not sure, you should be able to find confirmation somewhere on your bill. Stick it in, and voilá! Watch the worksheet calculate the breakdown of your pass through charge.
What to Watch Out for with the Pass Through Charge Worksheet
The most influential factor on any natural gas customer’s bill is by far and away going to be your DDDC charge. Because, if you look at column D, you can see that it’s used as a multiplier for a bunch of different fees. Our example bill has a DDDC factor of 0.975. But if you switch that out for 2, say, it adds a good few more dollars to the overall charge.
But what does this mean for AGL customers? Well, the DDDC factor is re-calculated annually, based on how much natural gas demand your home pulls from the AGL gas system on the coldest day of the year. If you use less then your DDDC could be lower the following year. So being energy-conscious this winter could help you pull it down. And that could make you real monthly savings in future!
Budget Smart to Save on Energy this Winter!
This nifty little worksheet is a great tool to help budget for monthly energy expenses. Because that pass through charge can feel like a real pricey sucker-punch each month! So use the AGL pass through charge worksheet to keep on top of it, and to top it off why not snag a nice cheap energy plan going into winter at www.GeorgiaGasSavings.com?