Discover the Benefits of Natural Gas
Affordable, Reliable, and Efficient
Affordable
The average residential customer bill over a year is about the same as it was 20 years ago.
For every dollar you pay on your gas bill...
...the majority goes towards the cost of gas, gas delivery and customer service, with the remainder going towards the cost to finance investments in the gas system.
Efficient
Key System Facts
NW Natural’s system serves more than 2 million people and delivers 50% more energy than any other utility in Oregon over the course of a year. [2]
And yet, according to Department of Environmental Quality data, [3] the emissions from our customers are among the lowest by sector.
Reliable
We design and maintain our system to stand up to extreme winter weather. In fact, NW Natural’s system in Portland is meeting 90% of our residential space and water heat customers’
energy needs during the coldest winter days. The week-long icy, cold weather conditions in January 2024 put our region to the test and left more than 700,000 electric customers without power in our service territory.
Fortunately, many natural gas appliances were able to operate when the power was out, providing much needed back up heat, hot water, and the ability to cook for our customers while electric company employees worked tirelessly to bring the power back on. Gas generators provided whole-home energy and kept businesses running, including hospitals and nursing homes.
Indispensable Storage
On the coldest winter day, about half of our gas supply comes from our storage facility, helping ensure reliability and saving customers money. We lock in gas purchases at lower rates and store it for later use when prices are higher.
Efficient use of our storage facility has also helped us return about $280 million in bill credits to our customers over the last 20 years.
Sources
[1] National data from Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Postal Service. NW Natural monthly bill comparison is based on average residential natural gas bills in Oregon and Washington from 11/1/2006–11/1/2007 versus 10/31/2025–11/1/2026. The figures are an average and for comparison and informational purposes only; customers’ actual bills may differ.
[2] 2023 Oregon Utility Statistics Report, available at: https://www.oregon.gov/puc/forms/Forms%20and%20Reports/2023-Oregon-Utility-Statistics-Book.pdf
[3] Oregon DEQ In-Boundary GHG Inventory 2023 preliminary data, available at: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/Pages/GHG-Inventory.aspx