Balancing Charges
The “balancing charge,” also called the “customer select charge,” is a per-therm fee that can change monthly, ranging from a few cents per therm to about eight cents per therm. It covers the “balancing” costs for maintaining appropriate pressure in the utility’s pipe system. All consumers pay this fee, whether they get their gas from an unregulated supplier or the regulated utility. However, only customers of the alternative suppliers will see the charge as a separate line item on bills. Beware of any company that seems to promise savings, but doesn’t include the balancing charge in its savings estimate. To get the true cost of an offer, you have to add the balancing charge and all other fees to the advertised price.


NICOR
2002
December$0.0193
2003
January$0.0205
February$0.0204
March$0.0202
April$0.0193
May$0.017
June$0.0154
July$0.0155
August$0.0158
September$0.0158
October$0.0157
November$0.0157
December$0.0158
2004
January$0.0206
February$0.0208
March$0.0208
April$0.0212
May$0.0215
June$0.0215
July$0.0218
August$0.0218
September$0.0218
October$0.0218
November$0.0219
December$0.0221
2005
January$0.0216
February$0.0216
March$0.0218
April$0.0221
May$0.022
June$0.0222
July$0.0222
August$0.0223
September$0.0225
October$0.0226
November$0.0226
December$0.023
2006
January$0.0215
February$0.0227
March$0.0233
April$0.0231
May$0.0234
June$0.024
July$0.0238
August$0.0238
September$0.0239
October$0.0239
November$0.023
December$0.0225
2007
January$0.0208
February$0.0208
March$0.0199
April$0.0201
May$0.0201
June$0.0204
July$0.0204
August$0.0207
September$0.0207
October$0.0206
November$0.0211
December$0.0212
2008
January$0.0215
February$0.0216
March$0.0202
April$0.0198
May$0.0199
June$0.0197
July$0.0197
August$0.0197
September$0.0197
November$0.0175
December$0.0175
2009
January$0.0202
February$0.0197
March$0.0194
April$0.0193
North Shore Gas
2002
December$0.0881
2003
January$0.0661
February$0.056
March$0.0419
April$0.0346
May$0.063
June$0.059
July$0.0603
August$0.0601
September$0.0603
October$0.052
November$0.0648
December$0.0634
2004
January$0.0617
February$0.0632
March$0.0434
April$0.032
May$0.0478
June$0.067
July$0.058
August$0.0678
September$0.0814
October$0.071
November$0.0723
December$0.0633
2005
January$0.0669
February$0.0597
March$0.0533
April$0.0499
May$0.0405
June$0.032
July$0.0494
August$0.0623
September$0.0684
October$0.0696
November$0.0747
December$0.0677
2006
January$0.0691
February$0.0581
March$0.0586
April$0.054
May$0.0447
June$0.0593
July$0.0675
August$0.0729
September$0.0723
October$0.0721
November$0.0739
December$0.0724
2007
January$0.073
February$0.0708
March$0.0662
April$0.0437
May$0.0381
June$0.0501
July$0.0552
August$0.063
September$0.0695
October$0.0695
November$0.0767
December$0.0699
2008
January$0.0717
February$0.0663
March$0.0708
April$0.0604
May$0.0408
June$0.0349
July$0.0429
August$0.027
September$0.0365
November$0.054
December$0.056
2009
January$0.0665
February$0.0563
March$0.033
April$0.023
Peoples Gas
2003
January$0.0367
February$0.0372
March$0.0284
April$0.0248
May$0.022
June$0.021
July$0.0289
August$0.029
September$0.0216
October$0.0505
November$0.052
December$0.0385
December$0.0532
2004
January$0.0512
February$0.048
March$0.0369
April$0.0238
May$0.0461
June$0.0282
July$0.043
August$0.0529
September$0.0552
October$0.0372
November$0.0385
December$0.0394
2005
January$0.0387
February$0.0338
March$0.0278
April$0.0232
May$0.0323
June$0.0235
July$0.0277
August$0.0351
September$0.0367
October$0.0371
November$0.0381
December$0.0397
2006
January$0.0402
February$0.0342
March$0.033
April$0.0244
May$0.0305
June$0.0255
July$0.0255
August$0.0279
September$0.039
October$0.0437
November$0.0451
December$0.0441
2007
January$0.0427
February$0.0402
March$0.0334
April$0.0229
May$0.0221
June$0.0255
July$0.0289
August$0.0331
September$0.0381
October$0.0381
November$0.0438
December$0.0448
2008
January$0.044
February$0.0422
March$0.0451
April$0.0417
May$0.0289
June$0.0245
July$0.0139
August$0.0281
September$0.0274
November$0.0206
December$0.0362
2009
January$0.0363
February$0.0295
March$0.0209
April$0.0187