CenterPoint Energy - Back of Bill

A SAFETY MESSAGE FROM CENTERPOINT ENERGY
Do not store flammable products such as gasoline in the same room with the water heater or any other gas appliance.
No use ni almacene productos inflamables tales como gasolina en la misma habitación o en áreas cercanas a un calentador de agua u otro tipo de aparato a gas.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BILL

Total amount due. This is the difference between your previous balance and your payment, with any adjustments to your account, plus your current charges.

Customer charge and base amount. Covers fixed costs for reading meters, issuing bills, maintaining facilities and gas lines, postage, etc. These costs occur even if you do not use gas during a billing period.

Cost of gas adjustment (CGA). This is the portion of
your bill caused by the fluctuating cost of gas that
CenterPoint Energy purchases for your use. The
adjustment is subject to change each month, up or
down, depending on the supply of gas and current
market rates. The amount of the adjustment represents your share of CenterPoint Energy’s actual costs. CenterPoint Energy does not mark up the cost of gas.

Meter readings, CCF. The difference between the current and previous meter readings shown on your bill measures the volume of gas you used in CCFs (hundreds of cubic feet).

Historical information. Historical usage information is available at no charge, upon the consumer’s request.

Payment arrangements. If you need to make payment arrangements on your gas bill, or enter into a delayed payment agreement, please call the local or toll free number listed on the front of your bill.

Additional services. Additional services also include the following: Automatic Bank Draft, average payment programs, third party billing, assistance to elderly and handicapped customers, notification of certified medical emergency, Good Neighbor Fuel Fund and other agency assistance programs.

In accordance with the Federal Reserve Board
guidelines, personal checks that you send us for
payment may be processed electronically.
This means your check will not be returned by
your financial institution. For further information,
visit www.CheckConversionEducation.org or
contact customer service.

Factors affecting your gas bill. Any one, or combination, of these factors can change the amount of your bill:

Colder or warmer weather;
Wholesale cost of gas;
Differences in the number of days billed;
Changes in living habits, number of people, appliances, or weatherization.

The following is an example of how to read a typical
meter index:

Look at the four dials with their curved arrows. Read from right to left as follows:

1.

Read the “thousand-foot” dial as 7, the last number that the pointer passed. Note that the curved arrow on the dial shows a clockwise movement of the pointer.

2.

Read the next dial, the “10-thousand” dial. The curved arrow on the dial above shows a counterclockwise direction. The pointer is near the 9, but to be sure whether to read it as that number or the lower number 8, the previously mentioned “Same or Lower Number Rule” must be applied. Since the pointer in the “thousand-foot” dial to the right is nearer the 8 and the pointer has not reached the 0, the “10-thousand” dial should be read as 8..

3.

Read the “100-thousand” dial, it seems to point to 2. Double-check by using the rule above. Since the
pointer of the “10-thousand” dial is between 8 and 9, take the lower reading number, 1, for the “100-thousand” dial.

4.

Read the left-most dial, the “million-foot” dial.The
pointer is near the 6. Using the “Same or Lower
Number Rule,” we find the pointer on the dial to the right is between 1 and 2, so we read the “millionfoot” dial exactly as the number it is on or near, 6.

The entire meter reading is 6187.

Online Billing. Pay at CenterPointEnergy.com. Go to
your service area and select Online Billing to view and pay your monthly bill online.

MOVING? Please call us at the number on the front of this bill at least two weeks before you move, or use our online Start, Stop, or Transfer forms. We will take gas service out of your name at your old address and make sure you have gas service at your new address when you need it. Thank you.