North Shore Gas Company Rate Selection Guide
North Shore Gas Company, a WEC Energy Group utility and sister to Peoples Gas, distributes natural gas to roughly 235,000 customers in Chicago's northern suburbs. Distribution is regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission, while gas supply is open to alternative suppliers through the Choices For You program.
North Shore Gas Company Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 2 – General Service | Commercial | Customer charge $31.04-$150.06/mo + $0.10960-$0.12801/therm distribution | Commercial/industrial ≤41,000 therms/month |
| Rate 4 – Large Volume Demand | Industrial | Customer charge $297.36/mo + $0.75527/therm demand + $0.02222/therm distribution | Large volume customers >41,000 therms/month |
| Rate 5 – Electric Generation | Industrial | Contract service per ICC tariff | Gas-fired generators >25 MW |
Market Overview
Distribution service is regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Business customers under Rates 1 and 2 may choose an alternative gas supplier via Choices For You; North Shore Gas continues delivery, metering, emergency response and billing. Sales customers who do not shop pay the pass-through Gas Charge (no utility markup on the commodity).
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the North Shore Gas Company Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
North Shore Gas delivery charges (regulated by the ICC under Ill. C.C. No. 17) combine a fixed customer charge, volumetric distribution charges and a storage charge, plus a demand charge for Rate 4. The Gas Charge is a pass-through of North Shore Gas's actual cost of gas with no utility markup. Figures below are verified from the North Shore Gas business rates page (effective mid-2026): Rate 2 customer charge is $31.04-$150.06/month by meter class; the Rate 4 demand charge is $0.75527 per therm of Billing Demand.
Effective: June 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 2 – General Service (Meter Class 1) | commercial | Multi-family, commercial and industrial customers using an average of 41,000 therms or less per month, with metering capacity of 700 CFH or less. | Fixed customer charge plus volumetric distribution and storage charges. Gas Charge (commodity) is pass-through or from an alternative supplier under Choices For You. | Customer charge $31.04/month; distribution $0.12801/therm (first 3,000 therms), $0.10960/therm over 3,000; storage $0.00802/therm (sales)+ Not applicable for Rate 2 |
| Rate 2 – General Service (Meter Class 2) | commercial | General service customers (≤41,000 therms/month average) with metering capacity 701-2,300 CFH. | Fixed customer charge plus volumetric distribution and storage charges; commodity pass-through or alternative supplier. | Customer charge $77.04/month; distribution $0.12801/therm (first 3,000), $0.10960/therm over 3,000+ Not applicable for Rate 2 |
| Rate 2 – General Service (Meter Class 3) | commercial | General service customers (≤41,000 therms/month average) with metering capacity over 2,300 CFH. | Fixed customer charge plus volumetric distribution and storage charges; commodity pass-through or alternative supplier. | Customer charge $150.06/month; distribution $0.12801/therm (first 3,000), $0.10960/therm over 3,000+ Not applicable for Rate 2 |
| Rate 4 – Large Volume Demand Service | industrial | Large volume business customers using an average of more than 41,000 therms per month (using less than 4,000,000 therms/year tier shown). | Fixed customer charge plus a demand charge on Billing Demand (highest daily demand in Dec/Jan/Feb over the most recent 12 months), volumetric distribution and storage charges. Commodity is pass-through or alternative supplier. | Customer charge $297.36/month; distribution $0.02222/therm; storage $0.00802/therm (sales)+ $0.75527 per therm of Billing Demand |
| Rate 5 – Electric Generation | industrial | Businesses generating in excess of 25 MW of electricity using natural gas (contract service). | Contract service terms per tariff; contact Gas Transportation Services. Figures per the ICC tariff book. | Per ICC tariff (contract service)+ Per contract / tariff |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
General commercial business (Rate 2)
A commercial customer averaging 41,000 therms/month or less should confirm the right meter class and shop for competitive supply.
Rate 2 charges a fixed customer charge ($31.04-$150.06/month by meter class) plus volumetric distribution; the controllable cost is the deregulated Gas Charge.
- Verify your meter class to confirm the correct customer charge
- Lock a fixed alternative-supplier rate via Choices For You
- Pull 25 months of bills to baseline seasonal usage
Large volume / industrial (Rate 4)
Large customers above 41,000 therms/month should aggressively manage winter peak demand, since the demand charge dominates delivery cost.
The Rate 4 demand charge of $0.75527/therm of Billing Demand is set by peak Dec/Jan/Feb daily demand; shaving winter peaks reduces the charge for a full year.
- Reduce or shift peak-day usage in December, January and February
- Combine demand management with alternative-supplier procurement
- Use Gas Transportation Service and EIS to monitor nominations and degree days
Energy manager / consultant (multi-site)
Consultants managing North Shore Gas accounts should secure data authorization and centralize monthly usage for benchmarking and procurement.
Data access requires a Third-Party Verification Agreement; there is no public API, so monthly usage from EIS or authorized requests must be aggregated manually.
- Obtain a signed Third-Party Verification Agreement per customer
- Request up to 24 months of usage via Gas Transportation Services
- Benchmark therm intensity and coordinate Choices For You renewals across sites
Historical Rate Trends
North Shore Gas delivery rates are set by the ICC in periodic rate cases (Ill. C.C. No. 17). The Gas Charge changes monthly as a pass-through of wholesale gas costs. A Low Income Discount adjustment was added in 2024 per ICC requirements.
June 1, 2026
Monthly Gas Charge (pass-through commodity) set at $0.4237/therm for June 2026, down from $0.5053/therm in May 2026 and $0.5298/therm in June 2025.
-16% vs. May 2026January 1, 2024
Low Income Discount adjustment implemented on all bills as required by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
New riderOverall trend: The monthly Gas Charge fluctuates with wholesale markets: $0.5298/therm (June 2025), $0.5053/therm (May 2026), $0.4237/therm (June 2026), showing a recent decline. Delivery charges are reset in ICC rate cases.
Next expected change: Monthly Gas Charge resets; storage charge may change in June and August; delivery subject to future ICC rate proceedings
Cost Optimization Strategies
North Shore Gas C&I customers can manage cost through alternative supplier procurement (Choices For You), demand management for Rate 4, rate-class verification, and storage-charge awareness. Delivery and demand charges are fixed by the ICC tariff.
Alternative Supplier Procurement (Choices For You)
For: Rate 1 & Rate 2 business customers
Rate 1 and Rate 2 business customers can buy the gas commodity from an ICC-certified alternative supplier instead of the pass-through Gas Charge, locking in a fixed or indexed price.
Demand Management (Rate 4)
For: Rate 4 large volume customers
Because the Rate 4 demand charge ($0.75527/therm of Billing Demand) is set by peak Dec/Jan/Feb daily demand, reducing peak-day usage in winter directly lowers the annual demand charge.
Rate Class Verification
For: All C&I customers
Confirm the account is on the correct rate (Rate 2 vs. Rate 4) given the 41,000 therms/month threshold and the right meter class for Rate 2 customer charge.
Transportation Service & EIS Monitoring
For: Transportation-eligible C&I
Eligible customers can take Gas Transportation Service and use the Energy Information System to monitor usage, degree days and nominations for better procurement and budgeting.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download North Shore Gas Company interval data →
Deregulated Market Shopping
Gas supply is competitive in Illinois. Through the Choices For You program, North Shore Gas business customers under Rates 1 and 2 can buy the gas commodity from an ICC-certified alternative supplier while North Shore Gas continues to deliver, meter and bill. Customers who do not shop pay the pass-through Gas Charge (no utility markup).
How to Compare North Shore Gas Company Suppliers
- 01Review your rate class and annual therm usage from recent bills
- 02Compare ICC-certified alternative gas suppliers and their fixed vs. indexed offers
- 03Confirm eligibility under Choices For You (Rates 1 and 2)
- 04Enroll with the chosen supplier; North Shore Gas continues delivery and billing
Contract Terms for North Shore Gas Company Supply Agreements
- Fixed-price terms to hedge winter volatility
- Indexed/variable options tied to market
- Switching allowed once per billing cycle
- Review term length, renewal and early-termination clauses
Common Pitfalls When Shopping North Shore Gas Company Rates
- Variable rates can spike in winter
- Watch for automatic renewal and termination fees
- Delivery and demand charges are unaffected by supplier choice
- Verify supplier certification with the Illinois Commerce Commission
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my business choose its own natural gas supplier from North Shore Gas?▾
Yes. Through the Choices For You program, business customers under Rates 1 and 2 can buy the gas commodity from an ICC-certified alternative supplier. North Shore Gas still delivers the gas, reads the meter, and sends the bill — only the Gas Charge changes. Customers who do not shop pay the pass-through Gas Charge with no utility markup.
How is the Rate 4 demand charge calculated?▾
Rate 4 (Large Volume Demand Service, for customers averaging more than 41,000 therms/month) carries a demand charge of $0.75527 per therm of Billing Demand. Billing Demand is your highest daily demand during the peak months of December, January and February over the most recent 12-month period — so reducing winter peak usage lowers the charge for a full year.
How does a consultant or aggregator get my North Shore Gas usage data?▾
There is no public API or Green Button. The customer signs a Third-Party Verification Agreement authorizing release, then the third party requests historical usage (up to 24 months, typically monthly) via eis@northshoregasdelivery.com or 800-264-8026. Response time is usually 1-2 business days, and charges may apply for detailed requests.
Does North Shore Gas offer interval data or Green Button?▾
No. Despite AMI deployment (the Itron network shared with ComEd, approved in 2022), North Shore Gas does not offer Green Button, Connect My Data, ESPI, or customer-facing 15/30-minute interval data. Most customers see monthly therm usage; transportation customers can access daily/monthly operational data via EIS and PEGASys.
What does the current Gas Charge cost, and does it change?▾
The Gas Charge is a monthly pass-through of North Shore Gas's actual cost of gas, with no utility markup. It was $0.4237/therm for June 2026, down from $0.5053/therm in May 2026 and $0.5298/therm in June 2025. Delivery and demand charges are separate and set by the ICC tariff.
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