Why Is My PG&E Gas Bill So High in Winter? (November 2026 Rates Explained)

If your PG&E gas bill jumped this month, the price per therm is rarely the main reason. Usage is. PG&E's residential gas price rose about 4% on November 1, 2026, to $2.65648 per therm within your baseline and $3.15960 above it (including the public purpose surcharge). But a gas-heated home can easily burn several times as many therms in December and January as it does in summer. In our worked example below, the same house goes from about $48 in July to $167 in November and roughly $253 in January, and less than $7 of the November increase comes from the price change.

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Key facts

• Current PG&E gas price (Schedule G-1, effective November 1, 2026, Advice 5278-G): $2.53545 per therm for baseline use and $3.03857 for excess use (Schedule G-1). Add the $0.12103/therm residential gas Public Purpose Program surcharge (Schedule G-PPPS) and you pay $2.65648 within baseline and $3.15960 above it.
• Only one part of the price changes monthly. The procurement charge (the cost of the gas itself) rose from $0.41294 in October to $0.52359 per therm in November (Schedule G-CP). The transportation charge, which is most of your price, didn't change.
• Winter baseline is bigger, but heating use grows faster. Gas baseline has three seasons: summer (April-October), winter off-peak (November, February, March) and winter on-peak (December, January). Every therm over baseline costs $0.50312 more. Our PG&E baseline allowance guide has the full gas table for every territory.
• There's no fixed monthly gas charge on G-1, only a $0.13151/day minimum transportation charge that matters only for very low users. So your gas bill tracks your therms almost one-for-one.
• Space heating is one of the two biggest uses of natural gas in the U.S., alongside power generation, and homes also use gas for water heating, cooking and drying (EIA). That's why winter is when gas bills spike.

How PG&E prices a therm of gas

Every therm on a G-1 bill has three pieces:

Sources: PG&E Schedules G-1, G-CP and G-PPPS (effective November 1, 2026; G-PPPS effective January 1, 2026). City utility users' taxes, where your city has one, are extra.

The procurement charge is the part that follows the wholesale market, and it tends to climb in early winter. In PG&E's own published history, residential procurement hit $0.71959 per therm in December 2025 and $0.63850 in January 2026, then fell to $0.21389 by April 2026 (PG&E residential gas rate history). The November 2026 figure also includes $0.0532 per therm to settle past balancing-account balances, per PG&E's rate table.

Is gas more expensive than last winter? Not so far. Last November (2025), the all-in price was $2.78228 baseline and $3.29614 excess. This November it's about 12 to 14 cents lower per therm, partly because the surcharge dropped from $0.14324 to $0.12103 in January. PG&E hasn't published December 2026 prices yet, and we don't predict them.

Why the bill grows so much faster than the price

1. You're burning far more therms

A furnace or boiler is usually the biggest gas appliance in the house, and it barely runs from May to September. Your water heater also works harder in winter because the water coming into the house is colder. Put those together and many homes use several times more gas in January than in July. PG&E's own baseline numbers reflect this: in territory X, the December-January allowance (2.00 therms a day) is about four times the summer one (0.49), and both are set as a share of average local use.

2. More of those therms land above baseline

PG&E's gas baseline does grow in winter. In territory X (much of the Bay Area), it goes from 0.49 therms a day in summer to 1.48 in November and 2.00 in December and January (Schedule G-1, Sheet 2). But a heating home often outruns it, and every therm past baseline costs 19% more. PG&E sets winter gas baseline at 60-70% of average use in your territory (PG&E), so going over it in a cold month is normal, not a sign that something is wrong.

3. The gas price usually rises at the same time

The procurement charge usually rises in late fall and peaks around December and January, right when you use the most. A 10-cent move matters more on a 90-therm bill than a 20-therm bill.

4. Billing periods don't line up with months

Your "January" bill might run from mid-December to mid-January. When a bill spans November 1 or December 1, PG&E splits your baseline by the number of days in each season. A longer billing period (say 33 days instead of 29) also means more therms on one bill.

5. The Climate Credit isn't there in winter (yet)

PG&E's gas California Climate Credit was $46.26 per household in the April 2026 bill. Under the current G-1 sheet, the residential gas credit moves to February starting in 2027, so it will land during heating season instead of after it (Schedule G-1, footnote 7).

Worked example: one home, three gas bills

This is a hypothetical example, not a typical PG&E bill. It's a gas-heated home in baseline territory X using 18 therms in July, 60 in November and 90 in January. July is priced at PG&E's actual July 2026 rates. November uses the November 1, 2026 rates. January 2027 prices aren't published yet, so January uses November's rates.

Includes G-1 procurement and transportation charges plus G-PPPS. Excludes any local utility users' tax. Rates from PG&E's residential gas rate table and Schedules G-1/G-PPPS.

What drove the jump from July to November:

• Usage: therms went from 18 to 60, more than three times as many.
• Price: the same 60 therms at October 2026 prices would have cost $160.60, so November's rate change added $6.64.
• Baseline: 15.6 of the 60 therms were above baseline, at $0.50312 more each, about $7.85 extra compared with if all 60 had been at the baseline price.

If January's procurement charge ends up back where it was in January 2026 ($0.63850), the 90-therm bill would rise by about $10, to roughly $263. On PG&E's CARE gas rate (GL-1, with its lower surcharge), the same 60-therm November bill would be about $132 (Schedule GL-1).

For scale, PG&E's own estimate of an average non-CARE residential gas bill is 31 therms a month (averaged over the year), about $86.54 at March 2026 rates (PG&E gas rate notice, March 2026). Winter bills well above that are normal for a gas-heated home.

Is my bill wrong, or is it just winter?

Check these on your PG&E statement before you call. Our guide to reading your PG&E bill shows where each one is.

1. Therms used vs. the same month last year. If therms are similar, it's prices and weather, not a problem.
2. Days in the billing period. A 34-day bill is about 17% longer than a 29-day one.
3. Baseline territory letter. It should match where you live. Compare it with the gas table in our baseline guide.
4. Actual or estimated meter read. An estimated read can be corrected on a later bill.
5. Medical Baseline. If someone in your home qualifies, PG&E adds about 25 therms a month of gas at the baseline price (PG&E Medical Baseline).

If therms doubled with no change in weather or habits, look for a furnace that's short-cycling, a thermostat schedule that got reset, or a water heater problem. For electric surprises, see why your PG&E bill is too high.

What actually lowers a winter gas bill

Turn the heat down at night and when you're out. The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat down 7-10°F for 8 hours a day. (DOE Energy Saver guide). Hypothetically, if 72 of our example home's 90 January therms went to heating and a setback cut them by 10%, that's 7.2 fewer excess therms, about $22.75 off that bill. A real home may save more or less.

Seal drafts. The EPA estimates homeowners save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs by air sealing and adding insulation in attics, crawl spaces and basements (ENERGY STAR). Weatherstripping, door sweeps and window film are the cheap DIY part of that work. Attic insulation is the bigger job.

Set the water heater to 120°F. DOE says 120°F works for most homes (check your dishwasher manual first) (DOE Energy Saver guide).

Change the furnace filter. DOE recommends cleaning or replacing furnace filters monthly or as the manufacturer recommends. A clogged filter makes the system work harder.

Smooth out the bill even if you can't cut it. PG&E's free Budget Billing averages your energy costs over the past 12 to 13 months and recalculates monthly. It doesn't save money, but it takes the edge off January. It's for residential customers on non-solar rate plans.

Check whether you qualify for a discount. CARE takes $0.50694 per therm off baseline gas and $0.60756 off excess gas, and charges a lower surcharge. See PG&E CARE and FERA for income limits.

Be careful with space heaters as a fix. Heating one room with a 1,500 W electric heater can make sense, but it isn't cheap on PG&E electricity. Run the numbers in our space heater cost guide first. If you're planning a bigger change, compare heat pump vs. gas furnace costs on PG&E and heat pump water heaters.

Gear that helps

A smart thermostat that runs the setback for you. The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium ($245.00, 4.3 stars from about 4,200 ratings) is ENERGY STAR certified, includes a room SmartSensor, and comes with a Power Extender Kit for homes without a C-wire. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) ($219.99, 4.4 stars from about 2,650 ratings) comes with a Nest Temperature Sensor and works with most 24 V gas, forced-air, heat pump and radiant systems. Check compatibility with your system before buying. More detail in our smart thermostat guide.

Window film for drafty single-pane windows. The 3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit, five-pack ($17.59, 3.9 stars from about 15,600 ratings) covers five 3 × 5 ft windows with heat-shrink film and mounting tape. 3M says to take it down at the end of the season.

Door and window gaps. The Frost King DS101WA self-stick door sweep ($6.59, 4.3 stars from about 300 ratings) is 1-1/2 × 36 inches and sticks on with no tools. For gaps around windows and doors, M-D closed-cell foam weatherstrip ($3.99, 3.9 stars from about 450 ratings) is 1/2 × 1/4 inch × 17 ft and self-adhesive, sized for medium gaps.

Prices and ratings were checked on Amazon on November 1, 2026 and change often.

The bottom line

• PG&E gas costs $2.65648 per therm within baseline and $3.15960 above it as of November 1, 2026, about 4% more than in October and slightly less than last November.
• Winter gas bills spike mostly because of therms, not price. In our example, the bill more than triples from July to November while the price rises about 2%.
• Every therm over baseline costs 50 cents more, and gas-heated homes often go over baseline in December and January.
• Thermostat setbacks, air sealing and a 120°F water heater are the low-cost fixes. Budget Billing smooths the bill but doesn't lower it.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my PG&E gas bill so high this winter?

Mostly because you use more gas. A furnace runs far more in winter and your water heater works harder, so therms can triple or more compared with summer. PG&E's November 1, 2026 price is $2.65648 per therm within baseline and $3.15960 above it, about 4% higher than October, and more of your winter therms go over baseline.

How much does PG&E charge per therm of gas right now?

As of November 1, 2026, Schedule G-1 is $2.53545 per therm for baseline use and $3.03857 for excess use. With the $0.12103 public purpose surcharge, that's $2.65648 and $3.15960 per therm. The procurement part of the price changes every month.

What is PG&E's winter gas baseline?

It depends on your territory and the month. Winter off-peak (November, February, March) and winter on-peak (December, January) allowances are higher than summer. In territory X they're 1.48 and 2.00 therms per day. See our baseline allowance guide for every territory.

Are PG&E gas rates higher than last winter?

Not as of November 2026. The all-in baseline price is $2.65648 per therm, compared with $2.78228 in November 2025. Last winter's procurement charge peaked in December 2025 at $0.71959 per therm; December 2026 prices aren't published yet.

Does PG&E charge a monthly fee for gas?

Schedule G-1 has no fixed monthly customer charge. There's a minimum transportation charge of $0.13151 per day, which only matters if you use very little gas. The electric Base Services Charge doesn't apply to gas.

How can I lower my PG&E gas bill in winter?

Set the thermostat back 7-10°F for 8 hours a day (DOE says up to 10% savings on heating and cooling), seal drafts, set the water heater to 120°F and keep the furnace filter clean. Check whether you qualify for CARE, FERA or Medical Baseline, and consider Budget Billing to even out payments.

Find out where your money actually goes

Upload your PG&E bill to My Big Bill for a free audit. It reads your rate plan, baseline and usage, and won't claim savings your bill doesn't support. If you can download your usage from PG&E, our Green Button usage analyzer shows your electric spikes and always-on load hour by hour.

Sources: PG&E Schedules G-1 and G-CP (Advice 5278-G, effective November 1, 2026), G-PPPS (effective January 1, 2026) and GL-1, downloaded from pge.com November 1, 2026; PG&E residential gas rate tables (January 2024 to present); PG&E gas rate notice (March 1, 2026); PG&E Baseline Allowance, Medical Baseline and Budget Billing pages; U.S. EIA; DOE Energy Saver guide; ENERGY STAR. The three-bill example is hypothetical, and January is priced at November 2026 rates because later prices aren't published yet. Product details are from Amazon listings on November 1, 2026.