Alternative Gas Supplier (AGS):  Natural Gas Supplier licensed by the Michigan Public Service Commission and the local Utility to supply natural gas to consumers in a specific area. Provision Power & Gas is an Alternative Gas Supplier.

Budget Billing: Payment program from the Utility that a) uses your account history to estimate how much gas you will use over the next 12 months; and b) spreads out your estimated payments over the course of a year.  This helps many consumers by making it easier to budget for the monthly gas bill.

CCF: Unit of measure for natural gas.  1 CCF = 100 cubic feet

Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES) Provider: A retail electric service provider that is certified by the PUCO and competes for your business by offering alternative competitive prices, renewable energy options or other services and incentives. Provision Power & Gas is a CRES.

Competitive Retail Natural Gas Service (CRNGS) Provider: A retail natural gas service provider that is certified by the PUCO and competes for your business by offering alternative competitive prices, renewable energy options or other services and incentives. Provision Power & Gas is a CRNGS.

Customer Charge: Fixed monthly charge covering costs of meter reading, billing, equipment and maintenance expenses, whether or not the service is used.

Customer Choice/Energy Choice Program: The program that enables the energy consumer to choose a supplier for their natural gas and/or electricity.

Distribution Charge: Cost to deliver natural gas and electricity to a home or business. This cost comes from the Utility, regardless of whether an natural gas supplier is selected.

Early Termination Fee (ETFs): Energy Suppliers often include ETF fees on long term fixed rate energy contracts. Typically, the price is between $50-$150 to leave a contract early.  Each supplier sets their own rates and accompanying ETFs.

Energy Deregulation: Policy enacted in Michigan and Ohio to increase supplier competition in order to lower consumer natural gas prices.  Energy deregulation gives consumers the ability to choose their natural gas supplier based on the best rate and plan.

Fixed Rate: Rate type that maintains a consistent price per unit over time (often for a year or more).  Fixed Rates offer the consumer the most stability but also make it difficult to take advantage of potential dips in natural gas prices.  Fixed rates are often associated with early termination fees, so it’s important to check your Terms of Service.

Gas Customer Choice Program: A program approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) that enables retail customers to choose an alternative gas supplier.

Gas Cost Recovery (GCR): Natural gas rate from the Utility that changes monthly based on the price the Utility pays for the natural gas.

kWh: A 1,000-watt unit of energy for one hour. This is the standard measurement for the amount of electricity a customer uses.

Large Commercial Customer: A non-residential customer (business) with aggregate usage of above 500 Mcf per year.

MCF: Unit of measure for natural gas. 1 MCF = 1,000 cubic feet

PUCO (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio): Regulates providers of all kinds of utility services, including electric and natural gas companies. The PUCO was created to assure Ohioans adequate, safe and reliable public utility services at a fair price. More recently, the PUCO gained responsibility for facilitating competitive utility choices for Ohio consumers.

Residential Customer: A purchaser of natural gas that is supplied or distributed by a utility for residential purposes.

Small Commercial Customer: A non-residential customer (business) with aggregate usage of 

500 Mcf of natural gas or less per year.

SCO (Standard Choice Offer) or SSO (Standard Service Offer): Default rate changed to an Ohio Gas customer who chooses not to participate in the Energy Choice/Customer Choice program.

Supplier: The company that you can choose to provide the generation portion of your electricity or the supply portion of your natural gas service.

Supply Charge: The price of electricity or natural gas offered by a supplier.

Therm: Unit of measure for natural gas.  1 therm = 1 Ccf

Utility: The utility delivers energy to the customer using their existing infrastructure (like gas pipes, power lines, etc.) The utility reads the meter, bills customers, accepts payments, provides emergency service.  The utility may also act as the customer’s supplier, depending on whether the customer has chosen to participate in a Choice Program. 

Variable Rate: Rate type that changes on a regular schedule (generally monthly) based on various market forces. Provision Power & Gas’ variable rate is based on weather, supply and demand. Variable rates generally offer the consumer the most flexibility to change suppliers.