How Nicor Gas Billing Works

Understanding how Nicor Gas billing works helps you anticipate costs, catch errors, and manage your natural gas expenses effectively. This guide covers the complete billing process from meter reading to payment.

Your bill reflects usage during a specific billing period, typically 28-35 days. The bill is generated after your meter is read (or estimated) and includes all delivery, supply, and tax charges.

Nicor reads meters on a monthly cycle, with your specific reading date depending on your service address and route. Meters are typically read between the 1st and 28th of each month.

Your meter measures natural gas usage in cubic feet (CCF), which is converted to therms for billing. One CCF equals approximately 1.03 therms, with the exact conversion depending on the heat content of the gas (BTU factor).

After your meter is read, your bill is typically generated within 2-3 business days. The bill shows:

• Service period: The dates covered by this bill
• Previous and current readings: Used to calculate usage
• Therm usage: The amount of gas consumed
• Due date: Typically 21 days after the bill date

Bills are sent via mail or email (if enrolled in paperless billing) and can be viewed online through Nicor's customer portal.

Your total bill is calculated as follows:

1. Customer Charge: ~$23.00 (fixed monthly)
2. Distribution Charge: Therms × distribution rate
3. Rider Charges: Various per-therm surcharges
4. Gas Supply Charge: Therms × current supply rate
5. Taxes: State, municipal, and franchise fees

The total of all these components equals your amount due.