Glossary
Aggregation
Under Ohio law, local governments may band together into an aggregation, or buying group, to negotiate favorable rates for purchasing natural gas. One advantage of aggregation is the option of selecting different plans – like locking in a rate for a longer period of time.
Base Rate
Recovers non-fuel related operating expenses such as capital-related costs, personnel, and facilities and equipment. It also includes a component that allows the utility to recover a return on its investment in assets used to deliver natural gas, or profit, for its shareholders, as approved by the PUCO.
Ccf
A unit equal to one hundred cubic feet, used by some utilities to measure natural gas usage.
Contract Term
The length or duration of the contract (i.e. monthly, yearly, multiple-year).
County Sales Tax
When natural gas is purchased from a competitive retail natural gas supplier, the natural gas is subject to Ohio sales or use tax. Because county sales tax rates vary throughout Ohio, the county sales tax is not included in the supplier's total rate on the PUCO's Apples to Apples chart.
Current Offer
As shown on the PUCO's Apples to Apples chart, a current offer is comprised of the suppliers’ current commodity options and base rates, exclusive of sales tax, the local utility transportation charge, and customer service charges. Commodity options may be a fixed, variable, or stable rate plan.
Energy Choice
A program that allows Dominion East Ohio customers to choose the company that supplies their natural gas. Under Energy Choice, Dominion East Ohio continues to deliver the gas to customers, issue bills, and respond to natural gas emergencies.
Fixed Rate Plan
A natural gas commodity price that remains constant for the contracted period.
Gross Receipts Tax
As a public utility, Dominion East Ohio pays a tax based on its gross receipts for the privilege of doing business in the State of Ohio. This tax is passed through to customers as a charge calculated as 4.6044% of total Dominion East Ohio charges billed. Gross receipts tax is not charged on the natural gas commodity purchased from retail suppliers through the Energy Choice program or on warranty products. Federal government accounts are not subject to the gross receipts tax.
HEAP
HEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD). It is designed to help eligible low-income Ohioans meet the high costs of home heating. HEAP makes a one-time payment for most PUCO- regulated utility customers reflecting their usage for the current winter heating season.
Mcf
One thousand cubic feet, a unit used to measure natural gas usage. This is the unit of measure used by Dominion East Ohio.
Large Volume Customer
A Dominion East Ohio customer who uses 3,000 MCF or more of natural gas a year.
Monthly Variable Rate
The MVRs determined by retail suppliers are competitive rates that change each month based on the market price of natural gas and other factors. The MVR of the assigned supplier may be more, or less, than the price of gas a customer may find with other Energy Choice suppliers or an aggregation program. Once on an MVR, there is no penalty for enrolling with a different Energy Choice supplier or an aggregation program.
Non-Residential Gas Service
A gas or natural gas service provided to any location where the use is primarily of a business, professional, institutional, or occupational nature.
NOPEC
Many communities in Northeast Ohio have formed an aggregation, which has been named the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC). NOPEC is the largest such aggregation in the United States.
NYMEX
Stands for the New York Mercantile Exchange. Energy commodities, including natural gas, are sold through the NYMEX. Buyers purchase futures contracts on the NYMEX for natural gas that will be delivered at a later date. The month-end settlement price for the coming month's futures contracts is the basis for the SSO and SCO rates.
OCC
Ohio Consumers Counsel represents the interests of Ohio's residential utility customers in proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
PIPP
Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) is a low-income payment assistance plan sponsored by Dominion East Ohio in accordance with the PUCO.
PUCO
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) affects just about every household in Ohio. That's because the PUCO regulates providers of all kinds of utility services, including electric and natural gas companies.
Residential Gas Service
A natural gas service provided to any location where the use is primarily of a domestic nature..
SCO
Standard Choice Offer. A commodity service for which the regulated monthly rate is comprised of the NYMEX settlement price plus a Retail Price Adjustment adder that is determined through an annual auction process. Effective April 1, 2013, the SCO rate is applicable only to in which Choice-eligible residential customers who use less than 3,000 MCF per year and have not selected a retail supplier. The SCO rate changes monthly due to fluctuations in the price of natural gas on the NYMEX.
Small Commercial Customer
A commercial customer which is not a mercantile customer under division (L) of section 4929.01 of the Revised Code.
SSO
Standard Service Offer. Dominion East Ohio’s Standard Service Offer commodity service is provided to Energy Choice-ineligible customers and certain transitional customers. The SSO natural gas rate, like the SCO, is based on the NYMEX settlement price plus the Retail Price Adjustment determined in the annual auction, changes monthly due to fluctuations in the price of natural gas on the NYMEX.
Stable Rate Plan
A natural gas commodity price that is variable for a fixed period of time.
Transportation Rate
The transportation rate, also referred to as the delivery rate, includes a base rate, excise tax, Percentage of Income Payment Plan rider, uncollectible expense rider, competitive retail natural gas service surcredit rider, and a migration rider. This rate changes at least quarterly as the various components are revised with approval by the PUCO.
Total Rate
Includes the natural gas commodity prices, plus the transportation rate.
Usage History
The portion of your bill that shows a 13-month comparison of natural gas usage.
Variable Rate Plan
A natural gas commodity price that fluctuates within the contracted period.