FortisBC says all customers now see renewable natural gas on utility bills

FortisBC says it has become the first utility in North America to automatically designate a portion of their residential customers’ natural gas use to RNG, or renewable natural gas.

The utility company says as of July 1, all of its residential customers will see their natural gas bills include a one per cent RNG blend.

RNG is a non-fossil-fuel form of natural gas, typically produced by harnessing the methane produced from landfills or agricultural waste.

While RNG is more expensive than traditional natural gas, it is more climate friendly and comes with the advantage of being a “drop-in fuel,” meaning no costly changes to transmission infrastructure or home appliances are required.

FortisBC says customers will not see a cost increase on their bills due to the change. The one per cent RNG blend will be incorporated in the storage and transport line item on their bill and customers will see a carbon tax credit for the portion of their gas that is automatically designated as RNG.

The utility says it will continue its existing voluntary RNG program, through which homes and businesses can choose to lower their climate footprint by paying extra to designate up to 100 per cent of the gas they use as RNG.