Washington Gas's WNA charge

Did anyone else get the lovely surprise of the new "Weather Normalization Adjustment" charge on their gas bill? The explanation for it in their newsletter is "a billing adjustment mechanism designed to reduce the volatility of customers' natural gas bills due to variances from normal weather". How exactly does this benefit the customers? It almost sounds like an involuntary kind of Budget Billing.

 

We got that too and I don't totally understand it, and we are on the budget billing.

 

We got that too. I dont understand what it really means?
Could anyone please clarify?

 

According to washgas website this charge evens out at the end...based on credits as well as charges...

From washgas website...

The WNA is a billing adjustment mechanism that was approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission in Washington Gas Company’s last rate case.
The WNA is not a new fee, but is a billing adjustment designed to reduce the volatility of customers’ natural gas bills due to variances from normal weather. This means that when weather during a WNA period (October 1 to May 31) is colder than normal, customers will receive a WNA credit on their bills. Similarly, when the weather is warmer than normal during that period, they will see a WNA charge. Over time, these WNA credits and charges should balance out.

The adjustment amount will be the product of each customer’s weather gas usage (defined in the tariff as total therms used minus base gas therms) during the WNA period and a WNA factor that is reviewed and approved by the Commission. Separate WNA factors will be computed for each firm customer class (or subclass) based on customer usage for that class during each WNA period.
The WNA credit will be applied to customers’ bills in August. To limit the impact on customers, a WNA charge will be applied to bills beginning in August, and as directed by the tariff, spread over the next two months if necessary.


Source: http://www.washgas.com/library/general/Virginia_WNA.cfm

 

Thanks for posting that, esubscribe -- I went to the website but never found that explanation, just the legalese page. I guess the credit that's supposed to be applied in August won't occur until next August?

 

thanks for the explanation, esubscribe!