For Those Managing Past Due Balances, Atmos Energy is Here to Help

OLATHE, Kan. – June 23, 2023 – During Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, Atmos Energy was focused on providing safe and reliable natural gas service to our most critical customers including homes, hospitals, churches, and other human needs organizations. To maintain service and support system integrity throughout the storm, the company incurred extraordinary gas costs of $95 million on customers’ behalf. Last year the Kansas Corporation Commission reviewed the extraordinary costs, determined they were prudently incurred and are eligible for recovery based on well-established legal standards, and approved a financing order to issue customer rate relief bonds that securitize costs associated with Winter Storm Uri over a period of 10 years. Beginning in July, a fixed charge of $6.49 stemming from the securitization of those extraordinary costs will begin appearing on residential customers’ monthly bills.

Securitization allows customers to pay for the extraordinary costs over a longer period of time than traditional methods – easing monthly bill impacts.  As a reminder, Atmos Energy does not set the market pricing for natural gas. Natural gas is a tradeable commodity, the price of which is driven by global supply and demand, and it may fluctuate daily based on market conditions. Atmos Energy is a regulated utility and natural gas is a “pass-through cost” to our customers – meaning no profit is added to the commodity and transportation costs charged to Atmos Energy by suppliers.

For customers managing past due balances, Atmos Energy is here to help with financial assistance:

• Budget Billing is a great tool to help manage your budget because your natural gas bill will be more predictable every month. In the winter, your bill can rise unexpectedly as the weather gets colder. However, with Budget Billing your costs are spread more evenly throughout the year, so you are not surprised by high winter bills. Visit www.atmosenergy.com/budgetbilling to learn more.   
• Installment plans are available that spread out payments of your balance over time – with no charges or fees to do so. Call 888.286.6700 or visit www.atmosenergy.com/AccountCenter to establish a plan that meets your needs.  
• We also offer an online tool that compares your current bill with a previous bill so you can better understand how the weather, billing days, and charges impact your bill. Log in to the Account Center and select “Billing and Usage” to use the bill comparison tool.

If you need help paying your natural gas bill, financial assistance is available from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) program as well as Atmos Energy’s Sharing the Warmth funds through local assistance agencies. Visit https://www.atmosenergy.com/assistance to find an energy assistance agency near you.