Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some questions our customers often ask. If your question isn't
answered here, or if you'd like more information, contact us.
Questions from Former Aquila Customers
As you begin receiving service from Michigan Gas Utilities, you're likely to have questions.
Here are some frequently asked questions we've received from customers just like you — and some answers.
- My Aquila bill was automatically paid out of my checking account. Will that change?
- No. If your monthly bill was being automatically paid through Aquila's CheckLINE
program, you are automatically enrolled in the Michigan Gas Utilities Automatic Payment program,
which works the same way. There is no need to enroll again.
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- Did my account number change?
- Yes. Michigan Gas Utilities issued you a new account number. You'll
find your new account number at the top of your monthly bill. Depending on how you pay your gas bill, you may need
to inform your online banking vendor.
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- I had a username and password for Aquila's Web site. Will this work on the Michigan Gas Utilities Web site?
- No. You will need to register for an online profile with
Michigan Gas Utilities. Self-registration should be available in mid- to late July, as we are
still developing that program. To register for an online profile, you will need your most recent bill
from Michigan Gas Utilities.
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- What is the Customer Charge on my bill?
- The Customer Charge covers part of the fixed
costs of delivering your energy, and is not related to the amount of natural gas
you use.
Many costs of providing service are fixed. That is, they exist
regardless of how much gas a customer uses. These costs include things such as:
- The gas piping that's required to deliver gas.
- Labor and supplies needed to maintain the gas main.
- Labor and supplies needed to read meters.
- Qualified people to respond to emergencies and inquiries.
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- Why is my bill so high?
- There are many reasons why a bill may appear high,
including changes in the amount of natural gas you use, the effects of weather and
changes in energy prices. When trying to determine why your bill is high, first
compare your gas use this year with last year's use. For example, in winter, consider
whether temperatures are colder than last year; if so, you can expect
your heating bill to be correspondingly higher.
Also, remember that natural gas prices fluctuate quite a bit, especially during the winter.
Because prices on the market are generally lower in summer,
that's when we purchase much of the gas we expect customers to use during
the winter. We store the gas in a storage facility and then draw from it during
the winter. However, we must also purchase gas on the market to supplement
our stored supply. If market prices are high, customers' bills could be
correspondingly higher.
If you are unsure of what may be causing your higher bill, please
contact us.
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- I have problems paying my bill. What should I do?
- From time to time, many customers experience financial
problems that make paying their bill on time difficult. We care about our customers
and we'd like to work with you.
If you have a past-due balance, you can use our online
payment arrangements
option to schedule payments and bring your account up to date.
If you prefer, you can contact us
and speak to a customer service representative. The more quickly you contact us,
the more likely we'll be able to make arrangements that work for you and for
the company. If your problem is temporary, we're confident we can reach
a suitable agreement.
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- What's a therm?
- Natural gas is billed using an energy unit called a therm.
A therm is equal to 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs), or approximately 100
cubic feet (1 CCF) of gas. Your meter measures the volume of gas you use in
hundreds of cubic feet. Each month, that volume is converted into therms by
a BTU Factor that accounts for the actual energy produced by each CCF.
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- What is Quick Payment?
- Quick Payment allows you to pay
your Michigan Gas Utilities bill with your credit card, debit card or
checking account today.
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- Why do I have to pay a convenience fee when paying online?
- Credit card payments to Michigan Gas Utilities
are processed by Online Resources, a company that specializes in payment services.
Online Resources charges the convenience fee to cover processing fees and transaction
costs associated with handling credit card and electronic payments.
Michigan Gas Utilities does not receive any portion of this fee.
If Michigan Gas Utilities were to cover the cost of the convenience
fee, that cost would eventually affect all customers through our rates.
Because not every customer will use this service, we do not feel it would be
fair to spread the cost across all customers.
Automatic Payment is a
free option that has your payment automatically
withdrawn from your bank account on the date you specify each month.
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- What is the fee for paying by online using Quick Payment?
- When you pay with Quick Payment, you will be
charged a $3.95 convenience fee by the company that processes the transaction
(Online Resources).
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- How does Quick Payment differ from Automatic Payment?
- With Quick Payment you are making a one-time payment
on your account. With Automatic Payment, payments are automatically deducted from
your bank account each month.
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- When will my payment show up on my Michigan Gas Utilities account?
- Payments made using Quick Payment will take 2 business
days to be applied to your Michigan Gas Utilities account. Your bank account
will be debited prior to that. If the payment is being made to prevent or restore a
service disconnection, you should make the payment and then contact us with your
payment confirmation number so we know it has been made.
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- Is my information secure?
- Yes. All of the information you provide
is sent to our Web server using
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol
and 128 bit encryption technology.
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- Is there another way to pay immediately by credit card, debit card or checking account?
- You can also pay over the phone
by calling us toll free at 800-401-6402.
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- Can a payment be made on a rotary or pulse phone?
- No, the system requires a touch-tone phone. If you don't
have a touch-tone phone, you can pay online, or make a payment by speaking
with one of our Customer Service Representatives.
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- If I pay my home, cabin and rental property bill, am I charged a convenience fee for each account that I pay?
- The convenience fee is charged on each
transaction. If these accounts are billed separately you will pay a
convenience fee for each account.
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- Can my payment exceed the bill amount, creating a credit on my account?
- Yes, you may want to pay more if you will
be out of town for a couple of months.
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- What is Budget Billing?
- With Budget Billing,
we review your past energy use, estimate your total energy costs for the next 12 months,
and then simply bill you for 1/12th of that amount each month. This budget amount is reviewed
every six months, to ensure the set budget amount is covering your gas use. At that time,
your budget amount could increase or decrease based on your actual gas consumption.
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- Why might Budget Billing be better for me than just paying Michigan Gas Utilities for what I use each month?
- Natural gas bills are usually higher in winter than in summer
due to the cold weather. However, most incomes don't rise in winter,
so paying the winter natural gas bill may sometimes be difficult. With
Budget Billing, all year long you will pay about the same each month.
You'll find it much easier to budget your money.
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- How does Budget Billing work?
- The budget year begins with your first bill after joining
the plan. You pay equal amounts until your Budget Billing anniversary, which
is your twelfth month on the plan. At this time we settle up for any
difference between what you paid and the actual costs of the energy you used. Every six months,
your budget amount is reviewed to help ensure that the set budget amount is covering your
gas use. At that time, your budget amount could increase or decrease based on your actual gas consumption.
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- What if I paid too much?
- It's simple. We'll keep a running total of your monthly
balance. If you've paid too much by the end of your budget year,
we can apply your total credit
to next year's Budget Billing or, if you prefer, give you a refund.
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- What if I paid too little?
- That's easy, too. We'll keep a running total of your monthly budget
balance. If you used more than what we billed, we'll spread the amount over next
year's budget.
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- Does the budget amount ever change?
- Yes, occasionally. Your account is reviewed periodically because
there are several reasons why your budget amount may go up or down. Besides rate
changes and unusual weather, lifestyle changes like a new baby in the home can
increase usage. Also, adding or removing equipment such as a
swimming pool or hot tub could make a difference.
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- Are there any requirements?
- Because Budget Billing is a service to you, we appreciate prompt
payment. If your monthly bills are not paid on time, you may incur late
payment charges, and it may become necessary to remove you from the plan.
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- Do you offer any other programs that could make paying my natural gas bill easier?
- Yes, we do. Automatic Payment
provides the ability for your payments to be made directly from your checking or savings
account by your financial institution, and is very popular with Budget Billing
customers. By combining the two programs, you have about the same payment made
automatically at the same time of every month.
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Automatic Payment Questions
- So exactly how does it work?
- It's easy. Just fill out the
Automatic Payment Agreement Form authorizing
your bank, credit union or savings and loan association to automatically deduct the
amount of your Michigan Gas Utilities bill from your checking account each month. Send the
form to us now or along with your next payment and include a voided check from your
checkbook. We will take care of the rest.
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- Can my payment be deducted from a savings account?
- Yes. However, there are a few different steps you'll need to follow.
In addition to the signed agreement, you'll need to:
- Verify that your bank or credit union will deduct payments from a savings account
(some won't).
- Send on a separate piece of paper:
- Your bank name and ABA number (obtain from your financial institution)
- The savings account number you want to use
- Your signature (in addition to the one on the agreement)
Please send this information to the address indicated on the
Automatic Payment Agreement Form.
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- Why might Automatic Payment be easier for me than paying by check each month?
- You don't pay for postage or gasoline. There is no check to write.
You'll never be late for a payment if you forget or are out of town.
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- Do I pay any charges for Automatic Payment?
- Absolutely not! Automatic Payment
is a free service from Michigan Gas Utilities, although your financial
institution may charge for this type of transaction. You may want
to call them and ask. However, you will still save the money you're
currently spending on stamps, gasoline and checks.
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- Does this work well with Budget Billing, where I pay the same each month?
- Yes. Automatic Payment and Budget Billing are
made to work together. Not only can you make your payment automatically, but you will
always know how much your bill will be. Each program works well alone, but the two,
together, are often chosen for greatest convenience.
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- Will I still get a bill from Michigan Gas Utilities?
- Yes, just like you do currently. And the upcoming date and amount of the
Automatic Payment transfer will be printed right on the bill, so you'll know exactly
how much will be deducted and when. You'll have plenty of time to review and call with
any questions before the payment is made.
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- How soon after I sign up will my Automatic Payment payments begin?
- Please allow 30 days for changes to take effect when signing
up for Automatic Payment or changing your banking information.
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- What if there is not enough money in my bank account to cover the payment?
- Just as if you were paying normally by check, a return check fee
will be charged to your account if there are non-sufficient funds.
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- What happens if I change financial institutions?
- It's easy. You simply fill out a new agreement and send it along with
a new voided check. We'll take care of the transfer for you. Please note, depending
on the timing of this change, your account may not transfer on the next bill you
receive. Therefore, you may need to send payment for one bill.
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- What if I move?
- If you move to another address served by Michigan Gas Utilities but do
not change financial institutions, we'll simply transfer the information required
to your new account. If you change financial institutions, we'll need you to fill
out the online form again with the new information.
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