Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-4-22

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Resort Gas Ltd.

Gas Cost Reconciliation Account and Commodity Rate Increase

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

A. Pape-Salmon, Commissioner

January 10, 2022

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On December 8, 2021, on behalf of Resort Gas Ltd. (Resort Gas), Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) a Gas Cost Reconciliation Account (GCRA) report, which includes actual and projected GCRA balances (GCRA Report), and requested an increase of $9.84 per gigajoule (GJ) in the Total Gas Commodity Charge from the current rate of $14.00/GJ to $23.94/GJ for each rate group (Residential, Small Commercial and Large Commercial), effective January 1, 2022 (Application);

B.      By Order G-193-21 dated June 24, 2021, the BCUC set Resort Gas’s commodity rates as follows for each rate group (Residential, Small Commercial and Large Commercial), effective July 1, 2021 (Existing Commodity Rates):

C.      The requested $9.84/GJ increase in the Total Gas Commodity Charge comprises of:

                     i.      An increase in the Gas Commodity Charge – Propane from $13.60/GJ to 21.41/GJ;

                   ii.      An increase in the Gas Commodity Charge – Storage from $1.90/GJ to 2.03/GJ; and

                 iii.      An increase in the Gas Commodity Charge – GCRA from ($1.50/GJ) to 0.50/GJ;

D.      The requested increase arises as a result of current and forecast propane commodity, transportation and storage costs; current and forecast propane consumption levels; and the amortization of the outstanding Commodity and Storage portions of the GCRA over a 12-month period;

E.       The requested rate changes using current delivery rates would result in an increase in the annual bill before taxes of $178.92 for an average townhouse consuming 18 GJ annually and $844.90 for an average single-family house residential customer consuming 85 GJ annually;

F.       By Order G-380-21 dated December 16, 2021, the BCUC initiated a public hearing process and established a regulatory timetable for review of the Application; and

G.      The BCUC has determined that further process is warranted for the review of the Application.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders the regulatory timetable attached to Order G-380-21 is amended as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this             10^th            day of January 2022.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

Attachment

Resort Gas Ltd.

Gas Cost Reconciliation Account and Commodity Rate Increase