Your Natural Gas Bill
Your Natural Gas Bill
Winter 2025–2026 was one of New Jersey’s coldest in years. Extended frigid temperatures and February snowstorms drove higher natural gas consumption to help keep homes and businesses keep warm, which led to higher natural gas bills.
Natural Gas is Seasonal and Tied to Meeting Heating Needs in Colder Months
When temperatures drop, your heating system runs longer and more often, which means you use more natural gas and your bills are higher. In warmer months (typically mid-spring through early fall), you use less natural gas and bills are usually much lower.
Your NJNG bill reflects how much natural gas you used during the billing period; so, a cold spell can have a noticeable impact. Still, natural gas is typically the lowest-cost way to heat your home. To make bills more predictable and avoid higher-than-expected monthly bills, enroll in NJNG’s Equal Payment Plan, which spreads estimated annual natural gas costs across 12 monthly payments. Then, NJNG will evaluate your monthly budget payment amount twice per year and update it, if necessary, to keep it aligned with your actual usage.
See below to understand what makes up the total cost of your natural gas bill.
About Your Bill
For residential customers, your bill has two main parts: the Delivery Charge and Basic Gas Supply Service. Both are reviewed and approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, following comprehensive and publicly available filings that detail the drivers of these costs. You can find the Basic Gas Supply price per therm and the Delivery Charge in the Bill Calculation box on your NJNG bill. You can also watch this video: How to Read Your Bill.
Your billing period is typically 26 to 34 days. Here’s what you pay for:
Basic Gas Supply (BGS) is the cost of the natural gas you use. It’s updated annually based on supply, demand and weather. NJNG does not profit from the price of natural gas — we charge you the same price we pay without any markup.
Delivery (DEL) Charge helps recover investments needed to provide safe, reliable service. It includes:
- Upgrades to the pipe network that delivers natural gas across our service area and to your home or business.
- Routine and emergency work to prevent and repair natural gas leaks.
- State-mandated programs for efficiency, clean energy, emissions reduction and customer assistance.
- Customer support, including the technology for online, self-service tools and payment locations for in-person assistance.
Monthly Customer charge — A fixed charge that offsets the cost of billing, meter reading, equipment and service line maintenance.
We calculate your monthly bill by multiplying the BGS and DEL rates by the total therms you used during the service period, then add the customer charge. If you get your natural gas from a third-party supplier, confirm the rate you are billed. You can compare it to NJNG’s rate here.
DEL and BGS are two different rates for your natural gas service and are based on how much natural gas you use, contributing to your total monthly bill.
One reason BGS is lower than the DEL Charge is because NJNG works to reduce exposure to real-time market price spikes, especially during extreme weather. We buy anticipated winter supply well in advance, when prices are typically lower. For winter 2025–2026, nearly 90% of our supply for normal weather usage was locked in early at about $0.225 per therm. This helped protect you from winter’s rising commodity prices, which peaked at $13.50 per therm in January.
Factors Impacting Your Bills
Your natural gas bills can be affected by several factors, including:
Seasonal Changes — Heating makes up about half of your energy consumption. The colder it gets the more natural gas you use to heat your home and keep your business running.
Outdated, Inefficient Appliances — Older, less-efficient equipment and appliances (furnace/boiler, water heater, washer, dryer) work harder and use more energy to produce the same heat as newer, efficient equipment.
Living Habit Changes — Whether you have a child home from college or are hosting guests, keeping them comfortable during their stay may mean increased heating, cooking, laundry and shower use.
Home Drafts — Poor insulation and seal up allows heated air to escape from your home through your attic, vents, gaps around outlets and fixtures, etc., and causes your natural gas equipment to work harder.
Thermostat Use —An outdated thermostat or inefficient settings can cause your heating system to run longer and more frequently, wasting energy and increasing your natural gas bills.
Understanding how you use natural gas is a major factor to helping you save energy and money. By paying attention to such things as lifestyle, habits, behavior and your home’s efficiency, you can make more informed decisions to help lower your natural gas bills.
Programs to Help Manage Your Natural Gas Bills
If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills, help is available. Energy assistance and NJNG’s payment plan can help make your energy bills easier to manage.
Grants are available for a range of household income levels, and you may qualify. For example, a family of four with a household income of $160,276 may be eligible. You may also qualify for more than one program. Learn more and apply at njng.com/assistance or connect with us at 800-221-0051.
Click here to learn more, for eligibility requirements and to apply.*Terms and conditions apply.
Our Equal Payment Plan helps you avoid surprises and manage your household budget by spreading your estimated annual natural gas usage over 12 payments. No seasonal highs and lows — just predictable payments every month. Sign up through My Account at njng.com/my-account under the Billing and Payments tab.
Resources to Help Manage Your Energy Usage
Take the first step toward a more energy-efficient home and lower energy bills with a no-cost whole home energy audit* from NJNG’s SAVEGREEN® energy-efficiency program. A certified NJNG auditor will assess your home to find out where heated or cooled air is escaping and provide recommendations to help make your home more energy efficient.
To learn more and schedule your home energy analysis, visit savegreen.com or call our energy-efficiency team at 877-455-NJNG (6564).
*Terms and conditions apply. Only available to NJNG residential customers through June 30, 2027. This offer does not apply to new construction.
NJNG’s Home Weatherization Program – NJNG’s SAVEGREEN® energy-efficiency program provides qualifying moderate income-eligible customers with free weatherization measures**. Learn about eligibility and program information at savegreen.com or call our energy-efficiency team at 877-455-NJNG (6564).
*Terms and conditions apply. †This program is independent of NJNG.
*Eligibility is verified during checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Customers are responsible for all applicable sales tax and shipping costs, which will be applied at checkout. Sales tax is calculated on the full sales price, as required by the New Jersey Division of Taxation. NJNG instant rebate limited to the purchase of two thermostats per NJNG account only over the lifetime of the NJNG Marketplace. Smart thermostats are not compatible with all heating and cooling systems.
SAVEGREEN® by New Jersey Natural Gas offers budget-friendly solutions to help make home energy improvements like insulation, seal up and HVAC and/or water heating equipment upgrades more affordable. Rebates and NJNG’s 0%* APR On-Bill Repayment Program* are available to help you move ahead with projects that meet your needs and budget.
Visit savegreen.com for rebates and financing terms and conditions.
*Terms and conditions apply. All offers are subject to available funding. Maximum OBRP 0% APR financing for eligible NJNG residential customers is $25,000. All loans are net of NJNG rebates. NJNG reserves the right, with approval of the State of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, to terminate, modify, suspend, or extend this rebate program. NJNG rebates and incentives do not apply to new construction. Offer applies to qualifying equipment purchased and installed by June 30, 2027. Rebate applications must be postmarked within 120 days of equipment purchase date. Customer must submit a paid receipt and proof of permit with NJNG application.
Tips to Help You Save Energy
It’s the little things that count. Check out these practical, no- to low-cost energy-saving tips to help you save energy all year long.
Seal Those Sneaky Drafts. Stop drafts in their tracks with weatherstripping and caulking around windows and doors.
Weatherize Your Home. Insulate and seal up your home to help stay comfortable and cozy. You may be eligible for free weatherization measures. Learn more about this and other energy-efficiency opportunities and see if you qualify at savegreen.com.
Be Smart with Your Smart Thermostat. Set a sensible heating schedule for when you’re home and away. A lot of energy is wasted heating and cooling a home when no one is there. (Don’t have a smart thermostat? Check out the NJNG Marketplace for exclusive deals.)
Think About Hot Water Usage. Shorter showers and washing clothes in cold water can help cut your energy usage.
Improve Your HVAC System. Regularly change your HVAC filters to reduce energy consumption. Dirty filters make your HVAC system work harder.