Heat in Oklahoma runs on natural gas: a field guide to your ONG service and bill

When a blue norther blows through and the wind finds every gap around your back door, most homes here are counting on pipeline gas to keep the furnace lit. I’ve crawled into meter pits during ice storms and knocked on doors at 2 a.m. after someone smelled rotten eggs. If you’re sorting out why your bill looks the way it does or which rate you should be on, this is the nuts-and-bolts version, straight from how the system actually works in Oklahoma.

What exactly am I paying for on an Oklahoma Natural Gas bill?

Your monthly bill from Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) has a few parts that don’t budge and a couple that do. The part that doesn’t move with weather is the Service Charge. On the main residential tariff called Rate Schedule 101, the Service Charge is $29.72 per month on Rate Choice A and $47.57 per month on Rate Choice B. That’s the fixed cost of keeping a meter on your wall, rolling trucks, maintaining mains, and reading and billing your account even if you burned zero gas this month.

Then there’s a Delivery Fee, which is the per-unit price ONG charges to move gas through its distribution pipes to your meter. Under Rate Choice A, the delivery fee is $4.28020 per Dth (a dekatherm is the energy content of roughly 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas). Under Rate Choice B, that delivery fee is $0.00 per Dth because Choice B folds those delivery costs into the higher monthly Service Charge. Either way, the commodity cost of the gas itself is a separate pass-through charge adjusted by ONG’s Purchased Gas Adjustment tariff. That piece rises and falls with the wholesale market and is not a profit center for the utility.

There’s a third rate class some households can use: Special Low Income Residential (Schedule 102), which requires annual LIHEAP certification through the Department of Human Services. On that schedule, the Service Charge is $7.87 and the delivery fee listed in the tariff is $1.08200. It still adds the commodity gas cost like other schedules, but it starts with a much lower fixed monthly charge.

Two other items you’ll see on many bills are authorized riders. First is the Temperature Adjustment Clause that applies to Rate Choice A. It tunes your billed usage up or down based on actual weather compared to normal so low-usage customers don’t get under-billed during mild months and over-billed during harsh ones. Second is the Winter Event Securitized Cost Recovery line. That is the long-term, regulated recovery of extraordinary gas costs from the historic February 2021 storm, spread out over many years by order of the state to avoid a single spike.

Timing matters too. ONG’s tariffs say residential bills are due within 20 days of the bill date. Miss the due date and a late fee of 1.5% of the unpaid amount can be added. If you want month-to-month smoothing, the Average Payment Plan calculates your payment using a 12‑month rolling average of your past bills. Enrollment typically requires your account not be past due at the time you sign up.

Rate Choice A or B: which one fits a typical Oklahoma home?

Choice A and Choice B are two ways of splitting the same delivery costs between a monthly fee and a per‑unit charge. ONG sets your default based on your service location’s “annual normalized volume.” If the location is under 50 Dth per year, it’s placed on Choice A by default. If it’s at or above 50 Dth per year, it’s placed on Choice B. You can switch between A and B, but you must stay on the new choice for at least 12 months after you switch. That prevents flip‑flopping with the seasons.

Here is how the three most common residential options line up. These figures come straight from approved ONG tariffs and program requirements. Remember that the commodity cost of gas is added to all three options.

How do you think about the break‑even? If you ran right at 50 Dth/year, Choice B’s higher fixed charge is roughly $17.85/month more than Choice A, but you’d avoid the per‑Dth delivery fee. That math can favor Choice B for long heating seasons or bigger homes with gas water heating, dryers, or stoves. If your place is small, very tight, or partly heated with something else, Choice A often pencils out cleaner. The state requires the utility to calculate your initial placement from a normalized annual lookback. If your actual use pattern is different, you can request a switch and lock that in for the next 12 months.

A separate help lever many folks overlook is ONG’s Average Payment Plan. It won’t reduce total cost, but it dampens the winter spike by averaging charges over the past year. That usually pairs well with Choice A for smaller or swing‑season homes and with Choice B for high‑use homes that still want predictable monthly cash flow.

How does the Cold Weather Rule work in Oklahoma?

There is a statewide rule that stops disconnections for heat when conditions turn dangerous. If the National Weather Service forecasts the temperature in your area will dip below 32°F at any time in the next 24 hours, regulated gas utilities are required to pause residential disconnections for nonpayment if gas is used for heating. That doesn’t wipe out the balance, but it shuts the door on cutoffs while a freeze is setting in and gives you space to set a plan with the utility.

If service has been shut off for nonpayment and you’re ready to restart it, ONG’s tariffed reconnection fee for nonpayment is $50. If you miss the truck and a technician is dispatched but your service is not turned off, there’s a separate $25 collection trip charge. If you asked the company to disconnect service for a while and then ask to reconnect within 12 billing periods, the tariff calls that a “temporary disconnect,” and the bill to turn it back on is either the reconnect charge or the total minimum monthly charges that would have been billed during the gap, whichever is larger. That’s why most homeowners keep service active year‑round instead of trying to save by shutting it off in May.

On the customer‑service side, ONG staffs an emergency line at 800‑458‑4251 that runs 24/7. If you smell gas, leave the area, call 911, then call that number. For everyday billing or scheduling tasks, the customer contact center keeps regular hours on weekdays, typically Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CT.

One more safety topic you’ll hear every crew preach: Call 811 before you dig. In Oklahoma, the law requires a locate request at least two working days before you start excavation. The OKIE811 system runs around the clock, and facility owners send locators out to put paint or flags down. Hitting a service line with a fence post driver can turn a Saturday project into an emergency. If you do damage a line, back out, keep everyone clear, and contact the utility immediately.

ONG also prices a few field services in its tariffs. If you want a tech to come light gas appliances, the posted fee is $35 during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays). The company notes it can waive that light‑up fee during September as part of a seasonal safety push ahead of winter. If you request an excess‑flow valve on your service line for added safety, the one‑time installation cost listed in the tariff is $400.

Can I lower the gas side of my bill with rebates right now?

Yes. ONG funds an Energy Efficiency Program that pays prescriptive rebates for qualified natural gas equipment. On the water‑heating side for the current program year, the utility lists $325 for a qualifying tankless model, $650 for a qualifying condensing tank water heater, $1,050 for replacing an electric water heater with a new natural gas tank water heater, and $1,375 for replacing an electric water heater with a qualifying natural gas tankless model. Applications must be submitted within 180 days of installation, and checks or bill credits typically land in six to eight weeks if funds are available.

Heating equipment rebates are on the table too. For a standard high‑efficiency replacement, the program lists $550 for installing a new 95%+ AFUE natural gas furnace or boiler. For fuel‑switching, the residential heating page shows tiers up to $2,500 for replacing an electric resistance furnace with a 95%+ efficient natural gas furnace, and up to $2,500 for replacing an electric heat pump with a new 95%+ gas furnace paired with a qualified air conditioner. Like water‑heater rebates, the heating rebates are first‑come, first‑served and require you to submit the invoice and AHRI certificate within that 180‑day window.

These are utility rebates, not tax credits. They stack with federal incentives if your install qualifies, but ONG’s payments are administered by the program itself and mailed to you or credited to your account. The mail‑in address shown on ONG forms is P.O. Box 401, Oklahoma City, OK 73101‑0401, which is the company’s program processing box. If you’re building or doing a full HVAC swap, a licensed Oklahoma contractor is required for heating equipment rebates, and the application will ask for that Oklahoma license number along with model and AFUE details.

If your household is LIHEAP‑certified, remember you also have access to the Schedule 102 rate with its lower service charge. That schedule isn’t automatic; DHS must certify eligibility to ONG each year. Many LIHEAP households qualify for no‑cost weatherization through community agencies as well, which trims the amount of gas you actually need to burn once the furnace kicks on.

Safety, service calls, and construction basics that keep the heat on

Start, stop, or move service and there are a few set prices in the tariff to be aware of. Initiating gas service at a location, during normal business hours, carries a posted fee of $35. A missed appointment can draw a $25 trip charge. A returned check or reversed electronic payment adds a $10 returned‑payment fee. None of these are surprises in the field. They’re standard, published charges meant to keep everyone on the same playbook.

If you’re lining up new construction, ONG runs a Builders Hub with process guides, but two practical timing points matter more than any brochure. First, submit your 811 ticket at least two business days before any trenching or post‑hole digging, then wait for clear marks. Second, expect gas meter light‑ups to be scheduled inside a normal workday window. The company’s posted light‑up hours are 8 to 5 on weekdays excluding holidays. Outside of that, you’re into after‑hours discretion. During the last cold snap I worked, we were making safety shutoffs through dark and light, but non‑emergency appointments still stayed inside the normal window for everyone’s safety.

Understanding your consumption helps too. ONG’s “Understand Your Bill” explainer defines 1 dekatherm as the energy in about 1,000 cubic feet of gas. Most winter furnaces here will go through several dekatherms on the coldest days, especially in older houses with original windows. If your annual use is north of the 50 Dth line, it’s worth checking which rate you’re on and whether Choice B’s higher fixed fee with no per‑Dth delivery charge is a better fit for your pattern.

If something smells off, literally, leave the area and call the emergency line at 800‑458‑4251 after dialing 911. Road crews, fence installers, and even homeowners planting trees hit buried lines every year. Lines hiss, dead grass patches show up where they shouldn’t, and the mercaptan odorant we add will catch your nose for a reason. Let it do its job, then let us do ours.

Key things to know if you heat with ONG

• Rate Choice A carries a $29.72 monthly Service Charge and a $4.28020 per Dth delivery fee. Rate Choice B carries a $47.57 Service Charge and no per‑Dth delivery fee.
• If your location uses 50 Dth/year or more, ONG defaults you to Choice B. You can switch choices, but you must stay on your new choice for 12 months.
• LIHEAP‑certified households can enroll on Schedule 102 with a $7.87 Service Charge and a listed delivery fee of $1.08200.
• Residential bills are due within 20 days. The posted late fee is 1.5% of the unpaid amount.
• Nonpayment reconnection is a tariffed $50. Service initiation is $35, and a missed appointment can add a $25 trip charge.
• Appliance light‑ups are $35 during 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays, and ONG may waive that fee in September.
• Smell gas, leave and call 911 and 800‑458‑4251. The emergency line is staffed 24/7.
• Call 811 at least two working days before digging so buried utilities can be located and marked.
• Rebates are real: water heaters carry tiers at $325, $650, $1,050, and $1,375 depending on type and whether you’re switching from electric, and heating rebates range from $550 up to $2,500 for qualifying fuel‑switch projects.

Reader Q&A

My winter bill jumped and I’m on Rate Choice A. Is that because of the Temperature Adjustment?

The Temperature Adjustment Clause applies to Choice A and adjusts your billed usage up or down against normal weather. It’s meant to keep low‑use customers from being under‑ or over‑billed when the season runs warmer or colder than the norm. You’re still seeing the separate commodity gas cost on top of that, plus the fixed $29.72 Service Charge and the $4.28020 per Dth delivery fee.

Can I switch from Rate Choice A to B mid‑winter if my usage is higher than expected?

Yes. ONG lets you change rate choices at any time, but once you switch, you have to stay on the new choice for at least 12 months. If you’re trending above the 50 Dth/year threshold and expect that to continue, Choice B’s $47.57 Service Charge with no per‑Dth delivery fee can make sense.

What does the Cold Weather Rule actually prevent?

If the forecast drops below 32°F within the next 24 hours, regulated gas utilities pause residential disconnections for nonpayment when gas is used for heating. It doesn’t erase what you owe, but it halts shutoffs in dangerous cold so you can work out a payment arrangement. ONG also offers the Average Payment Plan that spreads costs over a 12‑month rolling average to reduce winter swings.

Is there any help for low‑income households beyond LIHEAP?

Yes. If you’re LIHEAP‑certified, you can be placed on Schedule 102 with a $7.87 Service Charge and a reduced delivery fee. ONG’s energy‑efficiency rebates also apply to qualified customers, and applications must be filed within 180 days of installation. For emergencies or safety concerns, the 800‑458‑4251 line is staffed around the clock.

Boiling it down, you can’t change the price of gas, but you can pick the rate structure that matches your usage, avoid penalty fees by knowing the posted rules, and grab the rebates that reduce how much gas you have to buy in the first place. If you’re right on the edge between A and B or you’re LIHEAP‑eligible, that’s your decision point.

Published: September 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the Oklahoma editorial team