The price of natural gas reaches an eight-year low

This winter, Énergir customers will enjoy the most competitive heating bill prices in the residential and business markets

Montréal, October 21, 2010 – Since the summer of 2008, market prices of natural gas have been falling. Énergir customers benefit directly from that drop, since the price of natural gas supplied by Énergir  has plummeted from 35.503¢/m3 in July 2008 ($9.37 per gigajoule (GJ)) to 18.301¢/m3 this month ($4.83/GJ), a 48% plunge in two years and its lowest price in eight years.

In 2010, the quantities of natural gas available in North America have stayed at relatively high levels, with inventories higher than the average of the past five years.

The continental supply of natural gas is plentiful, mainly due to the increase in production from non-traditional sources in the United States. The market prices of natural gas at the Alberta border have remained on average at $4/GJ during 2010. 

Natural gas is more economical than electricity or heating oil
The current natural gas prices confirm the favorable competitive position of natural gas as a source of energy for Québecers.

As the heating season opens, Énergir customers have something to smile about. Heating a typical home  with natural gas costs 11% less than electricity, and 15% less than fuel oil.

For a typical business customer , the competitive advantage of natural gas is even more striking, and has been so for even longer. Natural gas has been cheaper than electricity for the past 11 years, and costs at least 36% less this year. Compared with heating oil, natural gas has been less expensive for the past 5 years and is at least 30% cheaper this year. These savings translate into several thousands of dollars.

The competitiveness of natural gas: a plus for the environment
In the commercial and industrial markets, the strong competitiveness of natural gas argues in favour of using that energy source instead of fuel oil, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 30%. Keep in mind that Québec is still, sadly, the Canadian champion of fuel oil consumption (Statistics Canada, 2009).

In the past two years, conversions by industrial customers from heating oil to natural gas have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 495,000 tons of CO2 equivalent.

Énergir Overview
With over $3.6 billion in assets, Énergir is Québec’s leading natural gas distributor. Operating in this regulated industry for over 50 years, Énergir has become the trusted energy provider to some 180,000 customers in Québec and 136,000 customers in Vermont while developing the skills and expertise needed to diversify beyond natural gas. Énergir’s prudent growth strategy has been marked by the successful entry into electricity distribution in Vermont and development of wind power projects in Québec.

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