Major Factors That Influence Natural Gas Use

Several factors can influence monthly natural gas use, including individual decisions made by your business. Some factors, however, can be measured by Michigan Gas Utilities, and we summarize them on your monthly bill.

• Billing Days - Michigan Gas Utilities makes every effort to read your meter once a month. The number of days between monthly meter readings may vary slightly — it won't be exactly 30 or 31 days each time. Your bill shows the number of billing days included and how that compares with the same month last year.
• Average Daily Temperature - Weather can play a significant role in how much natural gas you use. During a cold winter, when more heating is required, your use may be higher. During a mild winter, your use may be down. The average daily temperature is shown on your bill as an easy reference to how temperatures this month compare with the same month last year.
• Degree Days - Degree days measure how much higher or lower the average daily temperature is compared to a base of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter, this is reported on your bill as Heating Degree Days, reflecting how often temperatures during the month were below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher the Heating Degree Days, the more likely your heating system needed to run. In summer, your bill reports Cooling Degree Days, reflecting how often temperatures during the month were above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher the Cooling Degree Days, the more likely air conditioning may have been needed.
• % Warmer or % Cooler - Your bill shows what percentage warmer or cooler it was this month compared with the same month last year. This percentage is calculated based on the number of degree days this year compared to last year.
• Therms Used and Average Therms/Day - Therms are a measure of the heat content of the gas you use. Your bill shows how many therms your business used this year compared with last year — and the average number of therms used each day.