Your gas bill is going up

Photo: FortisBC

Just in time for winter, your natural gas bill is about to get more expensive.

FortisBC has announced an increase in the price of natural gas that will cost the average customer $82 a year.

The BC Utilities Commission approved the increase, which will take effect Oct. 1.

“Natural gas prices have risen since spring 2016," said Dennis Swanson, vice-president of energy supply at FortisBC. "The hotter-than-normal summer, for most of Canada and the U.S., has resulted in higher-than-expected continental demand for electricity, which is often generated by natural gas."

Swanson said natural gas prices are still near the lowest in a decade, rising from $1.141 per gigajoule to $2.050,

FortisBC says the price it pays for natural gas is passed directly on to customers.