FAQ: General Service Information
Your gas meter is an accurate automatic measuring instrument. It keeps
track of how much natural gas flows through it by counting the filling and
emptying of compartments inside its metal case. Since each compartment
fills with the same amount of gas every time, the measuring is very
accurate. And because one compartment is emptied as another is being
filled, the flow of gas to your appliances is smooth and uninterrupted.
Most Atmos Energy natural gas accounts are billed in 100 cubic foot
increments, commonly abbreviated as CCF. Most Atmos Energy meters register
usage in CCF increments. Each number on the dial farthest to the right
indicates one CCF of usage.
This illustration shows the dials on a typical gas meter. The dials read
from left to right. Use the number the dial hand has passed. (In
this illustration, the movement of the hand is determined by the direction
the arrow is pointing.) When looking at your meter, the movement of the
hand is determined by the direction that numbers on the dial increase.
Read the dials from left to right, recording the lower number next to the
dial hand. In the example above, dial A reads 3, dial B reads 1, dial C
reads 7, dial D reads 2. Thus the reading is 3172. (Please note, if the
dial is between two numbers, take the lower of the two numbers.) You can
determine your gas usage by subtracting your last meter reading from your
current reading.
Atmos Energy reads residential, commercial and some industrial meters monthly. A monthly meter reading provides accurate data, ensuring that customers are paying the exact amount for the natural gas they use, not an estimated amount. In the event that the meter is not read, the customer will receive a bill that is calculated by considering past usage and adjusting it for that month's weather conditions. If this bill is incorrect, any over- or under-charge will be corrected the following month. That way, you will still be billed only for the gas you actually use.
Should you have any questions on concerns about meter reading, please contact our Customer Support Center at the number on your bill.
By signing up for our budget billing plan, you can spread out your gas utility payments over the entire year, smoothing out seasonal highs and lows. This plan uses a "levelized process" to adjust for monthly changes in gas consumption and gas costs.
Our budget billing plan does not have an annual settle-up month, but continues until your account is closed, or budget billing is ended.
If you would like to set up your account on budget billing, please click here to go to the sign-up form.
If you have received a termination notice but have made your payment, you
can verify whether your payment has been applied to your account since the
termination notice was mailed. We will not terminate you service on the date
noted on your notice if your payment is posted by the workday preceding the
scheduled termination date.
Through our Web site, you can verify whether your payment has been applied if
your account is delinquent. Login to the Account
Center to find the current balance on your account, plus the date and amount
of your last payment received. Your account balance might indicate an outstanding
balance reflecting other charges, such as late payment fees, that have been
applied to your account since the mailing of your termination notice.
If the past due amount reflected on your termination notice is not posted
on the Account Summary, please follow the instructions on the
termination notice you received.
If your service has been disconnected for nonpayment, please call our
Customer Support Center at 1-800-621-1867 or, if
you are in North, Central, or East Texas, at 800-460-3030
for the exact amount you need to pay to restore your service.
If you have been asked to send payment verification information to our
Customer Research Group because a payment does not appear on your account
or the payment amount on your account is incorrect, please
forward the requested information to:
Atmos Energy Corporation
Attn: Customer Research
P.O. Box 650205
Dallas, TX 75265-0205
You may also fax the information to (972) 855-9765.
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