Large Natural Gas Opt-Out Program

Save Natural Gas Your Way

If you run a large business and we provide your natural gas, you can cut the natural gas energy efficiency surcharge from your bill and run your own energy efficiency programs instead.

How to Start Saving Your Way

For Our Largest Natural Gas Customers

The Large Gas Opt-Out program is for businesses that use more than 100,000 Mcf of natural gas a year. If you’re not sure whether you qualify, check your billing history or contact us anytime.

If your business doesn’t qualify for this program, we have many other ways for you to save. Learn more about our Business Rebates.

Planning for Success

Participating in the program requires you to achieve an annual energy efficiency improvement equal to at least 0.75% of your present annual natural gas use. For example, if your business presently uses 200,000 Mcf of natural gas per year, we ask you to find efficiencies that would save you 1,500 Mcf at the same production volume. Call us for details on how we calculate your savings.

Reporting on Your Savings

We ask you to file an annual report of your implemented efficiency measures and energy saved. It’s due on March 1 of each year, reporting on the previous year’s efforts. (See this example report and template.) We share these reports with the Michigan Public Service Commission, and in some cases they may ask you for additional information.

The Benefits of Saving Your Way

Your energy efficiency plan will save your business energy and money in whatever manner you think best. We think you’ll find it also helps enhance the comfort and productivity of your employees.

To support your efforts, we'll drop from your bill most of the otherwise mandated natural gas efficiency surcharge. You’ll still pay a portion of the surcharge that helps fund low-income energy assistance programs. Although you’ll no longer be eligible for our various natural gas rebates, those freed-up funds can support your energy efficiency programs in whatever way seems most effective to you.