Northwest Natural Gas (NW Natural) Rate Selection Guide
Northwest Natural Gas (NW Natural) is the natural gas local distribution company serving roughly 2 million people across western Oregon and Southwest Washington. It is a regulated investor-owned utility overseen by the Oregon Public Utility Commission, offering firm sales service plus large-customer transportation (Schedule T) for commercial and industrial accounts.
Northwest Natural Gas (NW Natural) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 31 | Commercial firm sales | Customer charge + per-therm delivery + PGA (see tariff book) | General commercial gas users without their own gas supply |
| Schedule 32 | Industrial firm sales | Customer charge + per-therm delivery (declining block) + PGA | Larger industrial firm sales loads |
| Schedule T | Transportation | Delivery-only charges; customer buys own gas | Large C&I customers who can procure gas competitively |
Market Overview
NW Natural is a regulated gas distribution monopoly under the Oregon PUC (and WUTC in Southwest Washington). Small commercial customers have no commodity choice; large commercial and industrial customers may take transportation service under Schedule T, procuring their own gas from a marketer while NW Natural delivers it. Commodity cost is passed through at cost via the annual Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA).
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Northwest Natural Gas (NW Natural) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
NW Natural's Oregon rates are set by the OPUC and were last generally updated effective October 31, 2025 (the annual rate-change cycle includes the Purchased Gas Adjustment). Commercial firm sales customers take Schedule 31 and industrial firm sales customers take Schedule 32; large customers buying their own gas take transportation under Schedule T. Each schedule combines a fixed monthly customer charge with a per-therm delivery charge plus a pass-through cost-of-gas (commodity) component. Specific per-therm figures are published in the Oregon Tariff Book; representative dollar effects from the most recent change are noted below. Verify exact figures in the tariff book before quoting.
Effective: October 31, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 31 - Commercial Firm Sales | commercial | Commercial customers taking firm natural gas sales service in Oregon. Per the most recent change, an average Schedule 31 customer using ~2,744 therms saw a monthly increase of about $25.78 (Oct 2025 cycle). | Fixed monthly customer charge + per-therm delivery charge + pass-through cost of gas (PGA). Exact per-therm rates published in the Oregon Tariff Book. | — |
| Schedule 32 - Industrial Firm Sales | industrial | Industrial customers taking firm natural gas sales service in Oregon. Per the most recent change, an average Schedule 32 firm sales customer using ~21,769 therms saw a monthly increase of about $71.13 (Oct 2025 cycle). | Fixed monthly customer charge + per-therm delivery charge (declining-block for higher volumes) + pass-through cost of gas. Exact rates in the Oregon Tariff Book. | — |
| Schedule T - Transportation Service | industrial | Large commercial and industrial customers who procure their own gas from a third-party marketer and pay NW Natural only to transport/deliver it. Governed by Schedule T and the General Rules and Regulations of the tariff. | Delivery-only charges (no commodity); customer arranges its own gas supply and nominations. Demand/throughput-based delivery rates per the tariff. | — |
| Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA) | commercial | Annual cost-of-gas pass-through applied to all sales-service (non-transportation) customers, trued up each November 1. | Per-therm commodity rate adjusted annually; passed through at cost with no utility markup. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large industrial customer with steady high load
High-volume industrial users should evaluate Schedule T transportation against Schedule 32 firm sales.
At high therm volumes, procuring your own gas under transportation can beat the utility commodity rate, and declining-block delivery rates reward volume.
- Model both options against current market gas prices
- Confirm you can manage nominations and balancing
- Set up daily AAMR / hourly Telemetry for monitoring
Commercial building needing ENERGY STAR benchmarking
Property managers should use the Business Benchmarking program for whole-building usage.
NW Natural provides monthly aggregate usage in Excel for Portfolio Manager, satisfying Portland and similar reporting requirements.
- Submit benchmarking forms ~45 days before deadlines
- Collect all meter numbers and tenant release forms upfront
- Authorize your consultant in writing
Multi-site commercial portfolio
Portfolio operators should standardize on portal access plus benchmarking across sites.
Consistent monthly aggregate data across buildings supports portfolio-wide efficiency tracking despite the lack of an automated API.
- Register each account in the portal
- Batch benchmarking requests by deadline
- Track therms against degree-days
Historical Rate Trends
NW Natural rates change annually, driven largely by the Purchased Gas Adjustment (commodity cost) each November 1 plus periodic general rate cases at the OPUC. The most recent general billing-rate update took effect October 31, 2025.
October 31, 2025
General billing rate update; average Schedule 31 commercial customer (~2,744 therms) saw about +$25.78/month and average Schedule 32 industrial firm sales customer (~21,769 therms) about +$71.13/month.
varies by classOverall trend: Recent cycles have produced modest increases, reflecting cost-of-gas movements and infrastructure investment.
Next expected change: Next annual PGA / rate cycle expected around November 1, 2026.
Cost Optimization Strategies
C&I gas customers can lower delivered cost by evaluating transportation service, improving load factor, and pursuing efficiency incentives offered through NW Natural and Energy Trust of Oregon.
Evaluate Schedule T transportation
For: Large commercial & industrial
Large users who can procure gas competitively from a marketer may avoid the utility commodity rate by switching to transportation, paying delivery-only charges.
Confirm optimal rate schedule
For: All C&I
Verify whether commercial (31), industrial (32), or transportation (T) yields the lowest delivered cost given your therm volume and load profile.
Pursue efficiency incentives
For: All C&I
Use NW Natural and Energy Trust of Oregon programs (equipment rebates, weatherization) to cut therm usage.
Benchmark with usage data
For: Commercial buildings & transportation customers
Use the Business Benchmarking program and AAMR/Telemetry data to track consumption, identify anomalies, and target reductions.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Northwest Natural Gas (NW Natural) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NW Natural offer an API or Green Button for third-party data access?▾
No. NW Natural has not implemented Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data, and there is no Share My Data-style ESPI API. Third-party access is manual and requires explicit customer authorization, typically through the Business Benchmarking program or by designating an authorized agent on a Schedule T account.
How can a consultant get whole-building gas usage for a commercial building?▾
Use the Business Benchmarking program. The building owner (or an authorized third party) downloads the Natural Gas Usage Request Form, attaches Tenant Data Release Forms for buildings with 1-4 tenants, and emails them to BenchmarkingBuilding@nwnatural.com. NW Natural returns monthly aggregate usage in Excel within roughly 45 days.
What is Schedule T and who qualifies for transportation service?▾
Schedule T is NW Natural's transportation service for large commercial and industrial customers. Rather than buying gas commodity from NW Natural, the customer procures its own gas from a marketer and pays NW Natural only to deliver it. Schedule T customers can also access daily AAMR and hourly Telemetry data and manage nominations through the Gas Transportation portal.
How granular is interval gas data for business customers?▾
Standard sales customers receive daily AAMR Therms. Transportation (Schedule T) customers can elect Telemetry Therms as frequently as hourly where the meter supports telemetry. There is no 15-minute gas interval data.
Which rate schedule applies to my business?▾
Firm sales commercial customers are typically on Schedule 31 and industrial firm sales customers on Schedule 32, while large customers who buy their own gas take transportation under Schedule T. Confirm your exact schedule against the Oregon Tariff Book or with the Major Accounts Team.
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