Natural gas customers of FortisBC in British Columbia started 2026 with a double-digit percentage increase on their bills. In a news release dated December 9, 2025, FortisBC Energy Inc. said it had received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to raise gas rates from January 1, 2026. For an average residential customer, FortisBC estimated the overall bill increase at about 11.1%.
The bill impact
The short answer: about $11 a month for an average home, a little more in Fort Nelson.
| Customer | Average monthly use | Overall bill change | Monthly change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, B.C. (excluding Fort Nelson) | about 7.5 GJ | about +11.1% | about +$10.95 |
| Residential, Fort Nelson | about 10.5 GJ | about +11.5% | about +$13.23 |
FortisBC noted that individual bills vary with consumption.
Why rates went up
The short answer: system investment and efficiency programs, according to the utility.
FortisBC said the increase supports upgrades that keep the gas system safe and reliable, necessary maintenance, and increased funding for energy-efficiency rebate programs. The release named five projects:
- Inland Gas Upgrades
- Gibsons Capacity Upgrade
- Coastal Transmission System Upgrades
- Pattullo Gas Line Replacement
- Gas Advanced Metering Infrastructure
How a FortisBC bill is built
The short answer: three regulated components on different review cycles, plus taxes and levies.
FortisBC's backgrounder describes the parts of the bill:
- Delivery: reviewed annually by the BCUC.
- Storage and transport: reviewed quarterly and set annually by the BCUC, with no FortisBC markup.
- Cost of gas: reviewed every three months, with no markup; the next review after January was scheduled for March 2026.
- Other charges and taxes: the B.C. clean energy levy, GST and, in some municipalities, a municipal operating fee, which FortisBC collects without earning revenue from them.
The release did not break the 11.1% down by component, so we cannot say how much came from delivery versus the cost of gas. That distinction still matters when homeowners ask why a bill moved: some parts change quarterly, others once a year.
Analysis: what this means for heating contractors
This section is HeatingNews.ca analysis, not part of FortisBC's release.
British Columbia is close to evenly split. Statistics Canada's 2023 survey shows natural gas as the primary heating energy for 42% of BC households and electricity for 36%. An 11% gas bill increase in January, at the coldest point of the year, is the kind of change homeowners notice and talk about.
For BC heating contractors:
- Gas customers still need gas service. Most will keep their furnace or boiler this winter. Maintenance and efficiency tune-ups are a fair, low-pressure response to a higher bill.
- Hybrid and heat pump interest rises. Some customers will ask about adding a heat pump to a gas system. Rebate rules changed in July 2026: the CleanBC Energy Savings Program set new requirements for invoices dated on or after July 6, 2026. Check current eligibility before advertising any amount; our British Columbia page summarises what we confirmed.
- Interior and northern markets differ. Fort Nelson's higher use shows how much colder regions feel each rate change. Campaigns should be planned region by region, which is how our heating-season ads are set up.
Putting $10.95 a month in context
The short answer: the increase is noticeable, but it rarely justifies replacing working equipment on its own.
At FortisBC's average of about 7.5 GJ a month, $10.95 works out to roughly $131 over a year, if consumption stayed at that average every month (our arithmetic). Real use is far higher in January than in July, so the winter months carry most of the increase. A Fort Nelson home at about 10.5 GJ a month would see roughly $159 over a year on the same simple basis.
Those figures are useful for setting expectations. A homeowner who sees $131 a year will not recover the cost of a new system from that alone. What the increase does is add weight to decisions already in play: an aging furnace, a boiler that needs repeated service calls, or a renovation that opens the walls. Contractors who frame their advice that way are more believable than those who suggest a rate change by itself pays for new equipment.
Where BC regulators fit
The short answer: the BCUC sets the rates, and Technical Safety BC licenses the gas work.
The BCUC approves FortisBC's delivery and storage charges and oversees the cost of gas reviews. Separately, Technical Safety BC licenses gas contractors and oversees natural gas and propane safety in the province. Neither body's role changes with a rate decision, but homeowners sometimes confuse the two, and a clear explainer page helps.
What to watch next
FortisBC's cost of gas is reviewed quarterly, and the BCUC sets delivery rates annually, so any change for January 2027 would come out of the BCUC's next annual review. For Ontario's comparable quarterly mechanism, see our report on Enbridge Gas's July 2026 price change, or browse the newsroom.
Frequently asked questions
How much did FortisBC gas rates go up on January 1, 2026?
FortisBC said the average residential customer would see an overall bill increase of about 11.1%, or about $10.95 a month, based on average use of about 7.5 GJ a month. Fort Nelson residential customers would see about 11.5%, or about $13.23 a month.
Why did FortisBC raise rates?
FortisBC tied the increase to upgrades for safety and reliability, maintenance and more funding for energy-efficiency rebate programs. It named projects including the Inland Gas Upgrades, the Gibsons Capacity Upgrade, Coastal Transmission System Upgrades, the Pattullo Gas Line Replacement and gas advanced metering.
Who approves FortisBC's rates?
The British Columbia Utilities Commission. FortisBC says the delivery charge is reviewed annually by the BCUC, while the cost of gas is reviewed every three months and passed through without markup.
Was the approval interim or final?
The FortisBC release we read did not say. Check the BCUC's orders for the status of the 2026 rates.