Contact National Fuel
Gas emergency / odor (24/7)
1-800-444-3130Smell gas? Leave the building first, then call from a safe distance. Do not touch the gas valve.
Call before you dig
811Free utility-line marking, at least two business days before any excavation in Western NY.
Utility fact sheet
- Legal name
- National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.
- Type
- Investor-owned utility (gas only)
- Parent
- National Fuel Gas Company
- Ticker
- NYSE: NFG
- Gas customers (NY + PA)
- ~740,000
- Western NY counties served
- 14
- Retail choice?
- Yes (supply only)
- Distribution regulator
- NY PSC
- Pipeline affiliate regulator
- FERC
Quick actions
-
1
Start or stop service
Call 1-800-365-3234 at least one week before the move date so National Fuel can schedule a turn-on or turn-off appointment.
-
2
Apply for HEAP heating help
Up to $996 credit on your National Fuel account for the 2025-2026 season. Apply through your county DSS or on the OTDA HEAP page.
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3
Compare a gas ESCO offer
After the 2023 Reset Order, every gas ESCO offer must lock the price and beat the National Fuel default. Compare on DPS Power to Choose.
National Fuel's vertical integration, the rare one in US gas
Almost every US natural gas distribution utility is just that, the distribution piece. They buy gas at the city gate, deliver it to homes, and someone else owns the pipeline, the storage and the production. National Fuel is the outlier. The corporate parent, National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG), sits on top of four separately regulated affiliates that together cover the whole gas value chain in Appalachia and Western New York.
Upstream and midstream
- ·Seneca Resources, the upstream exploration and production affiliate, drills gas in Pennsylvania.
- ·NFG Midstream, the gathering operations in Appalachia.
- ·National Fuel Gas Supply and Empire Pipeline, the interstate transmission lines into New York and into the New England interconnect.
- ·Regulated by FERC at the federal level.
Downstream
- ·National Fuel Gas Distribution, the regulated retail utility, serves your home in Buffalo, Niagara Falls or Jamestown.
- ·Underground gas storage caverns and depleted reservoirs across Western NY and Pennsylvania balance winter peaks.
- ·The competitive gas marketing affiliate sells to industrials and to ESCOs.
- ·The retail utility side is regulated by the PSC at the state level.
What this means in practice for a Buffalo or Jamestown customer, your gas is in many cases drilled, gathered, transported and stored within the same corporate family that sends you the bill. Each affiliate is a separate regulated entity (the PSC supervises distribution rates, FERC supervises pipeline rates), so the structure is legal and supervised, but the operational coordination behind the scenes is unusual for the US gas industry.
Source: National Fuel Gas Company 10-K and PSC tariff filings, May 2026.
The Western New York winter heating burden
Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Jamestown sit in one of the colder pockets of the lower 48. National Fuel customers heat with gas, cook with gas and in many homes heat the water with gas. Winter bills concentrate the household energy footprint into one utility line.
~7
Heating months / year (Oct to Apr)
~$996
Max regular HEAP benefit, 2025-26
$80,165
HEAP income limit, family of 4
12
Months in the Budget Plan
HEAP applies to gas-heated homes
Gas-heated households in National Fuel territory qualify for the regular HEAP heating benefit. The benefit is paid as a credit directly on your National Fuel account, not as a check. For the 2025-2026 season, the regular benefit can reach $996 for the highest-need households and the income ceiling for a family of four sits at roughly $80,165 gross per year.
Three other HEAP components matter for gas customers:
- · Emergency HEAP, a one-time credit if you face shutoff or have less than a one-week supply, opens in January.
- · Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement (HERR), up to several thousand dollars for a failed furnace, boiler or hot-water heater that you own.
- · HEAP Clean and Tune, a maintenance benefit if your heating system needs a tune-up to operate safely.
Apply once per season through your county DSS office or on the OTDA portal. The regular HEAP window typically closes mid-March, so do not wait until the heating bill arrives.
The Budget Plan, why summer enrolment matters
If you are not eligible for HEAP but still want to flatten winter bills, enroll in the National Fuel Budget Plan in July or August. The Budget Plan spreads your projected yearly gas use into 12 equal monthly payments. Signing up in summer captures the maximum levelling effect, signing up in February only covers a few months of peak season.
Other Western NY winter protections
Outside of HEAP and the Budget Plan, three additional safeguards reduce the risk of a winter gas shutoff in National Fuel territory:
- · Home Energy Fair Practices Act (HEFPA) protections restrict winter shutoffs for households with elderly, disabled or young occupants.
- · Medical certification from a treating physician can block a shutoff while life-sustaining medical equipment is in use at the home.
- · Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) through your local community action agency can insulate, air-seal and repair heating equipment at no cost, cutting future therms used.
Choosing a gas ESCO in National Fuel territory
New York opened gas retail markets in the late 1990s. National Fuel is still the delivery company, but you can pick an ESCO for the supply portion of your bill. The rules that govern gas ESCOs tightened sharply in December 2023 and again in April 2026.
Post-Reset Order rules (gas)
- ✓Mass-market product must be fixed price for the contract term, no variable-rate gas.
- ✓Must guarantee savings against the National Fuel default supply rate.
- ✓Cannot be sold to a household enrolled in HEAP or EAP.
- ✓Post-introductory rate must be a specific contracted number, not floating.
- ✓Customer Disclosure Statement before signing, mandatory.
Red flags, walk away
- ✕Door-to-door rep refuses to leave a written Customer Disclosure Statement.
- ✕"Teaser" rate for the first three months with no defined post-teaser price.
- ✕Anyone claims to be from National Fuel selling supply, the utility does not sell ESCO products.
- ✕"Renewable gas" label without a verified Renewable Natural Gas certificate.
- ✕Cancellation fee that grows over the life of the contract.
April 2026 settlement covered gas too
When the PSC settled with NRG-affiliated ESCOs in April 2026 ($50 million in billing adjustments, 278,000 customers affected, a 15%-below-utility one-year guarantee product), gas customers in National Fuel territory were part of the affected pool. The PSC made clear that the Reset Order rules apply equally to gas. If a gas ESCO is selling you anything that does not meet the five tests above, you can complain to the DPS Office of Consumer Services.
5 things every National Fuel customer should know
The shortlist Buffalo and Jamestown residents wish they had on day one.
National Fuel is gas only
No electricity. Your power comes from a separate utility (NYSEG or National Grid in most of Western NY). Two utilities means two bills, two account numbers and two emergency lines.
One company owns the pipelines too
National Fuel Gas Company owns both the distribution utility and the interstate pipeline that brings gas into the region. That is rare in US gas. Different affiliates, different regulators, one corporate roof.
You can shop for a gas supplier
Gas retail choice has existed in New York since the late 1990s. After the 2023 Reset Order and 2026 settlement, every ESCO offer must lock the price and guarantee savings against the National Fuel default. No more variable-rate gas.
HEAP applies to your gas bill
Gas-heated homes qualify for the regular HEAP heating benefit, up to $996 per season for the 2025-2026 program year. Income limits run around $80,165 for a family of four.
Call 811 before any digging
In Western New York, any excavation near a gas main needs the free 811 call-before-you-dig service. National Fuel will mark the gas lines for free within two business days. Hitting a gas main is a felony-level safety risk and a serious bill.
Manage your National Fuel account
Five focused walkthroughs for the things you will need to handle on your account at some point.
Pay your bill
Auto Pay, online, app, mail, in-person Authorized Payment Centers and what each option costs.
Budget Plan
Spread your yearly gas bill over 12 even months. When to sign up, how the annual reconciliation works.
Understand your bill
Mcf vs CCF vs therm, supply vs delivery, the temporary state assessment surcharge, the tiered SC-1 rate.
Moving in
Turn on gas service at a new address in Western NY. Lead time, deposit rules, what to bring to the appointment.
Moving out
Schedule a turn-off, transfer to a new address, avoid being billed for usage at a vacant property.
All NY gas move-outs
If you are moving outside National Fuel territory, the state-wide guide covers every NY gas utility move-out.
5 expensive mistakes National Fuel customers make
The patterns the Selectra customer-care desk sees most often. Each one is avoidable with one phone call or one form.
Forgetting to apply for HEAP before the deadline
The regular HEAP benefit window closes each spring, and emergency benefits run out as funds are exhausted. A family of four under the income limit can be leaving close to $1,000 on the table by missing the deadline. Apply as soon as the season opens, not when the heating bill arrives.
Leaving the pilot light on after moving out
When you leave a National Fuel home, schedule a service turn-off at least one week in advance. Walking away with the meter active makes you liable for usage until the account closes, including a winter month where a vacant home can still pull $150 to $300 in gas if the heat is set.
Not enrolling in the Budget Plan before winter
The Budget Plan spreads the year of National Fuel bills into 12 equal payments. Sign up in summer when usage is low. Customers who wait until February see only a few months of leveling, the steep January and February peaks have already landed.
Signing a variable-rate gas ESCO contract
New York banned mass-market variable-rate gas products under the December 2023 Reset Order. Any door-to-door or phone offer that does not lock the per-Mcf or per-therm price for the contract term, or that does not guarantee savings versus the National Fuel default supply rate, is not a compliant residential offer. Walk away from it.
Operating the gas valve yourself after a leak or move
If you smell gas, leave the building and call 1-800-444-3130. Do not turn the meter valve on or off yourself, that is a National Fuel technician's job. After a move-out the same rule applies, schedule National Fuel to turn off service rather than closing the valve yourself.
National Fuel, frequently asked questions
National Fuel is a natural gas distribution utility only. It does not deliver electricity. In Western New York, your electric utility is a separate company, in most cases NYSEG in the southern tier and outlying counties, or National Grid in the Buffalo metro area. Your National Fuel bill covers gas service, and a separate bill from your electric utility covers electricity.
Leave the building first, then call National Fuel's 24/7 gas emergency line at 1-800-444-3130. Do not flip light switches, do not use a phone or any electrical device inside the building, do not light matches and do not operate the gas valve yourself. Once you are at a safe distance, call National Fuel or 911. Never attempt to repair, open or close a gas valve yourself, that is a job for the utility.
Yes, and that is unusual. The corporate parent, National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG), owns the distribution utility (National Fuel Gas Distribution), the interstate pipeline (National Fuel Gas Supply), the gathering and processing operations in Appalachia (Empire Pipeline and NFG Midstream), the upstream gas production company (Seneca Resources), and the storage and gas marketing affiliates. Each affiliate is regulated separately, the distribution side by the PSC and the interstate pipeline by FERC, but the whole gas value chain sits inside one corporate roof. Most US gas utilities only own the distribution side.
Yes. New York opened gas retail markets to competition in the late 1990s, and a number of ESCOs compete for residential gas customers in National Fuel territory. After the December 2023 Reset Order, every mass-market gas product must be either a true fixed rate or a verified renewable gas product, must guarantee savings against the National Fuel default supply price over the life of the contract, and cannot be sold to customers enrolled in HEAP or EAP. The April 2026 PSC settlement against affiliated ESCOs extended the same rules to gas customers. Compare any offer to your current National Fuel default rate before signing.
National Fuel customers heat with gas, so the HEAP regular benefit applies to your gas bill. For the 2025-2026 heating season, the maximum regular HEAP benefit is up to $996, applied as a credit on your National Fuel account, and the income limit for a family of four is roughly $80,165 per year. There is also a HEAP emergency benefit if you are facing shutoff and a Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit if your furnace or boiler fails. Apply through your local DSS or county HEAP office before the season closes. Details and applications are on the OTDA HEAP page.
Three reasons stack up in Western New York. First, the heating season is long, Buffalo and Jamestown can run on gas heat from October through April. Second, residential homes here use gas not just for the furnace but often for water heating, the stove and the dryer, so a single utility absorbs almost all winter household energy. Third, gas commodity prices ride wholesale markets and a cold week can pull weekly index prices up sharply. The fix is not a single switch, it is a combination, the Budget Plan to spread cost evenly, a HEAP application if eligible, weatherization through New York State Weatherization Assistance Program if eligible, and a careful look at any ESCO offer that promises a true fixed gas rate.
National Fuel measures consumption in Mcf (one thousand cubic feet) on the residential rate. One Mcf is roughly 10 therms of energy, enough to run an average household furnace for about four days in winter. Some utility-issued documents and the therm price references in market reports use therms, which is the smaller unit. To convert, multiply your therms by 0.1 to get Mcf, or your Mcf by 10 to get therms. Your supply rate on the bill applies to the Mcf you used in the billing cycle, plus a fixed customer charge and a separate delivery charge.
Call National Fuel customer service at 1-800-365-3234 (or 1-716-686-6123 from Buffalo) before a shutoff notice arrives, ask about a deferred payment plan or the Budget Plan. Then apply for HEAP through your county DSS for a season credit of up to $996. If you are facing shutoff in winter, ask about the New York Home Energy Fair Practices Act protections, the state restricts winter shutoffs for households with elderly, disabled or young occupants. A medical certification from a doctor can also block shutoff while life-sustaining equipment is in use.
Keep reading on New York energy
Adjacent guides for National Fuel customers in Western New York.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
