Your Natural Gas Bill
Colder Temps are Here and So is Increased Energy Usage
As temperatures drop, you may notice an increase in the amount of energy you’re using to help maintain the warmth and comfort of your home. But just how cold has it been in New Jersey?
So far, winter 2025-26 has brought colder temps across the region. January started with a hint of warmer weather, but the rest of the month is expected to be much colder. And if you thought December 2025 was chilly, you were right. It was 85% colder than November 2025 and 16% colder than December 2024 — making it the coldest December in the past decade.
When temperatures drop, heating systems run longer and more often to maintain comfortable indoor temps — resulting in higher natural gas bills compared to milder months. Your NJNG bill reflects the amount of natural gas you used during the billing period; so, a cold spell will have a noticeable impact. While the chillier weather typically means higher energy usage, natural gas still remains the lowest-cost fuel source for heating your home.
See below to understand what makes up the total cost of your natural gas bill.
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Outdated, Inefficient Appliances — Older, less-efficient equipment and appliances (furnace/boiler, water heater, washer, dryer) work harder and use more energy to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Thermostat Use —An outdated thermostat or inefficient settings can cause your heating system to run longer and more frequently, wasting energy and increasing your natural gas bills.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.
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.
Programs to Help Pay Your Energy Bills
If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills, help is available. Explore energy assistance and NJNG’s payment plans to help make managing your energy bills easier.
There are energy assistance programs available for varying household income levels. For example, a family of four with a household income of $153,514 may qualify. Plus, you may be eligible for more than one program. In addition, NJNG’s Gift of Warmth provides eligible customers with an annual grant of up to $500* to help households facing unexpected financial hardship continue or reconnect your natural gas service.
Learn more and find out if you qualify at njng.com/assistance or connect with us at 800-221-0051.
*Terms and conditions apply. Click here to learn more, for eligibility requirements and to apply.
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 assessment* 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.
About Your Bill
For residential customers, your bill includes the Delivery Charge and Basic Gas Supply Service (BGS). The price per therm — the measure of the natural gas you use — and Delivery Charge, which includes the base rate, can be found in the Bill Calculation box on your NJNG bill. You can also check out this video on How to Read Your Bill.
Your monthly service billing period is typically 26 to 34 days¬. Here’s what you pay for:
Basic Gas Supply (BGS) — This is the price of natural gas and is updated annually based on supply, demand and weather conditions. NJNG charges you the same price we pay without any markup.
Delivery (DEL) — This includes the base rate to recover our infrastructure investments to ensure safe and reliable operations.
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.
Natural gas continues to be the lowest-cost energy source for how most NJNG customers heat their homes. The price we pay for the natural gas we deliver to you is the same price you pay — there is no markup. So, the less energy you use, the lower your energy bills.