Universal Natural Gas (UniGas) Rate Selection Guide
Universal Natural Gas (UniGas) is a small independent Texas natural gas distribution utility regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas, serving roughly 44,800 retail customers. Meters are read monthly with no AMI deployment, and data access is limited to a basic web payment portal (with a new MyAccount portal in transition) — no Green Button, EDI, API, or third-party data program exists, so C&I data access runs through manual customer-service requests.
Market Overview
Universal Natural Gas is a small independent natural gas distribution utility regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC tariff GFTR0048, COID 3524, Operator Number 878395). Customers receive bundled distribution and gas supply from UniGas under RRC-filed rate schedules — RES (Residential Service), CRR4 (Customer Rate Relief), and COG (Cost of Gas).
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Universal Natural Gas (UniGas) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
UniGas is a small Texas gas distribution utility regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC Tariff GFTR0048). Rates follow a simple customer-charge-plus-commodity structure with two commercial tiers split at 150 Mcf/month, plus a Cost of Gas (COG) pass-through and a statewide Customer Rate Relief (CRR) charge of $1.20/Mcf (Winter Storm Uri securitization). Interim Rate Adjustments (IRAs) approved in annual filings are added to base customer charges, so the effective monthly charge runs well above the printed base — verify the current IRA stack in the RRC tariff before budgeting.
Effective: June 25, 2024 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate Schedule COMM — Small Commercial | commercial | Commercial and non-residential customers using 0–150 Mcf/month | Monthly customer charge of $45.00 base plus Interim Rate Adjustments (recent filings show total customer charges of roughly $112–$162/month depending on IRA vintage), plus commodity charge of $2.91/Mcf, plus Cost of Gas (COG) pass-through and $1.20/Mcf CRR charge | $2.91/Mcf distribution commodity charge plus COG and CRR |
| Rate Schedule COMM — Large Commercial | commercial | Commercial and non-residential customers using more than 150 Mcf/month | Monthly customer charge of $175.00 base plus Interim Rate Adjustments (recent filings show total customer charges in the $1,200–$2,000/month range as IRAs accumulate), plus commodity charge of $2.91/Mcf, plus COG pass-through and $1.20/Mcf CRR charge | $2.91/Mcf distribution commodity charge plus COG and CRR |
| Cost of Gas (COG) Clause | commercial | All sales customers — pass-through of actual purchased gas costs | Volumetric gas cost recovery factor updated to reflect UniGas's actual gas supply costs; the single largest variable component of the bill and the main driver of winter bill spikes | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial facility (restaurant, retail, small office)
Facilities using under 150 Mcf/month in UniGas territory (Houston, Fort Worth, League City suburban systems) fall on the Small Commercial tier of Rate Schedule COMM.
The 150 Mcf/month breakpoint determines whether you pay a roughly $112–$162 or $1,200+ monthly customer charge. Small users should confirm they are billed on the correct tier — the commodity rate ($2.91/Mcf) is the same on both.
- Verify your billing tier annually against actual consumption — a single high-usage winter month should not move you to the Large Commercial customer charge
- Track the COG factor month to month; it is the largest variable cost on the bill
- Budget for the $1.20/Mcf CRR securitization charge through its sunset — it applies to all sales volumes
Large commercial or light industrial load (>150 Mcf/month)
Multi-unit properties, hotels, laundries, and process loads above 150 Mcf/month take service on the Large Commercial tier, where fixed charges are substantial.
With customer charges that have grown past $1,200/month through stacked Interim Rate Adjustments, fixed costs dominate at moderate volumes — the per-Mcf cost of the fixed charge drops sharply as throughput rises, so consolidating load behind one meter usually beats multiple small accounts.
- Compare total cost of one Large Commercial meter versus several Small Commercial meters before adding service points
- For very large loads, ask UniGas about written contract terms — Rate Schedule COMM allows controlling contract provisions
- Watch RRC interim rate adjustment dockets (filed annually) since they directly raise your fixed monthly charge
Multi-site portfolio manager tracking UniGas accounts
Energy managers with sites across Texas LDCs need UniGas bills normalized against Atmos, CenterPoint, and Texas Gas Service accounts.
UniGas has no Green Button, API, or EDI access, so bill data must be captured from the payment portal or paper bills. Rate validation matters because IRA-driven customer charge changes appear without per-bill explanation.
- Pull current tariff sheets from the RRC tariff database (GFTR0048) rather than relying on the bill alone
- Separate COG and CRR pass-throughs from base distribution charges when benchmarking sites
- Recheck rates after each June effective-date cycle — UniGas schedules were last restated effective 6/25/2024
Cost Optimization Strategies
UniGas is a sales-only distribution utility with simple two-tier commercial rates, so optimization centers on tier management, gas cost timing, and efficiency rather than demand charges or transportation arbitrage. The COG pass-through and the $1.20/Mcf CRR charge are the dominant variable costs.
Billing tier verification
For: All commercial customers
Confirm your account is on the correct Small vs. Large Commercial tier of Rate Schedule COMM. The 150 Mcf/month breakpoint swings the fixed monthly charge by roughly an order of magnitude, and misclassification after a usage change can go unnoticed for years.
Winter load reduction to blunt COG exposure
For: Heating-dominated commercial loads
Because gas costs flow through the COG clause at actual market prices, reducing January–February consumption (boiler tune-ups, setback schedules, heat recovery) cuts spend at exactly the months when the COG factor peaks.
Meter consolidation analysis
For: Multi-unit commercial properties and campuses
Fixed customer charges (especially with stacked Interim Rate Adjustments) make multiple small meters expensive. Where piping allows, consolidating adjacent units behind a single commercial meter reduces total fixed charges.
Tariff and IRA docket monitoring
For: All C&I customers and energy managers
UniGas files annual Interim Rate Adjustments with the Texas Railroad Commission that increase customer charges without a full rate case. Tracking GFTR0048 filings lets you forecast bill changes and challenge errors quickly.
High-efficiency equipment upgrades
For: Commercial kitchens, hospitality, light industrial
With all-in delivered costs (distribution + COG + CRR) typically near $9-12/Mcf for commercial accounts, condensing boilers, demand-controlled water heating, and pipe insulation pay back faster than headline commodity prices suggest.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Universal Natural Gas (UniGas) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do commercial customers access UniGas billing data?▾
Log into the portal at https://unigas-tx.epayub.com/ to view current bills, billing history, and payment history, and print or save bills as PDF. A new MyAccount platform is in transition — pre-register via unigas-tx.com to maintain access. There is no CSV export or API; for data beyond the portal, call 281-252-6700 or email info@unigas-tx.com.
Does UniGas provide interval or smart meter data?▾
No. UniGas reads meters once per month (generally between the 26th and the 5th of the following month), with occasional estimated reads. There is no AMI or smart meter deployment, so 15-minute, 30-minute, and hourly interval data simply does not exist for any customer class — monthly billing consumption is the only usage record.
Can a third party or aggregator access UniGas customer data programmatically?▾
No. UniGas has no Share My Data portal, Green Button, ESPI, or public API. The only path is a manual, customer-authorized request to customer service at 281-252-6700 with written authorization — the process is determined case-by-case and response times are unpublished.
Does UniGas support EDI for C&I billing transactions?▾
No. There is no EDI trading partner program, no ANSI X12 or EDIFACT support, and no VAN or direct connection options. Given UniGas's size (~44,800 customers) and traditional billing systems, EDI is unlikely to be offered; large customers needing automated billing should discuss alternatives directly with customer service at 281-252-6700.
Where are UniGas's rates and tariffs published?▾
UniGas operates under Railroad Commission of Texas oversight — tariff GFTR0048 (Distribution Sales), company ID 3524, operator number 878395. Filed rate schedules include RES (Residential Service), CRR4 (Customer Rate Relief), and COG (Cost of Gas), all available through the RRC tariff database at rrc.texas.gov/gas-services/natural-gas-tariffs-rate-schedules/.
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