Glossary

B.

BIOGAS – A mixture of gases produced by the decomposition of organic matter like agricultural waste and plant material.

BRITISH THERMAL UNITS (BCU) – The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

C.

CALLECTIVE – A natural gas marketing company. Callective buys gas from energy producers and marketers and in turn sells that gas to consumers.

CARBON FOOTPRINT – This refers to the amount of greenhouse gases generated by your actions, including all the carbon emissions that enter the atmosphere from your individual decisions.

CENTRUM CUBIC FEET (CCF) – This is a unit of measurement used when calculating the volume of natural gas consumed or delivered, one CCF is equal to the volume of 100 cubic feet. Although natural gas is also commonly measured in Therms (thermal energy units), it is simpler to calculate the volume of gas in CCF rather than thermal energy units. This is why consumers often see their gas usage reported in CCF on their monthly statements instead of Therms. One CCF is equal to 1.025 Therms, so both units of measurement can be converted quite easily from one to the other.

COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) – A type of alternative fuel produced by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of its volume at standard atmospheric pressure that can be used in place of gasoline, diesel fuel and propane; mainly used in this form as a means of transport or storage.

CPUC – California Public Utilities Commission.

D.

DEREGULATION – This is the removal of regulations or restrictions in an industry. For natural gas, this means you have the power to choose where your energy comes from.

F.

FIXED-RATE PLAN – A rate that stays the same during a specific contract period.

FRACKING – The process of drilling into the earth and using a high-pressure water mixture to release natural gas from rocks for energy use.

L.

LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) – Liquified natural gas is natural gas that has been cooled down for ease and safety of storage and transport. LNG is normally warmed to make natural gas to be used in heating as well as electricity generation and other industrial uses. LNG can also be kept as a liquid to be used as an alternative transportation fuel.

M.

MCF – A unit of measurement to report the volume of natural gas consumed or delivered. Natural gas is most easily measured by volume, and in this case, h M stands for “thousand” while CF stands for “cubic feet”. One MCF is equivalent to the volume of 1,000 cubic feet. One MCF is also equivalent to about one million BTUs (British Thermal Units), where BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit at sea level.

N.

NATURAL GAS – Natural gas, which consists largely of methane, is the earth’s cleanest fossil fuel. It is colorless and odorless in its natural state. When it burns, natural gas produces mostly carbon dioxide, water vapor, and small amounts of nitrogen oxides.

P.

PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY – The utility regulated by the CPUC. PG&E distributes natural gas on behalf of Callective and other marketers, maintains the gas pipeline system, and responds to gas leaks and other emergencies.

R.

RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS (RNG) – There are other ways to create natural gas other than fossil fuels. An example is a landfill, it creates gas from its own decomposing waste. This gas is known as biogas, which after cleaning with non-methane elements can make RNG. This RNG can be used as natural gas, as it is the same; except that this natural gas came from landfill and not a fossil.

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER/ CONSUMER – Premises at which natural gas is consumed primarily for personal, family, or household use.

S.

SHALE – Sedimentary rock that forms when silt and clay-size mineral particles are compacted and broken into thin, parallel layers.

SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS (SNG) – A type of gas created from coal through thermo-chemical conversion and can be used as a substitute in regions where there may be a shortage of natural gas.

T.

THERM – Any of several units of heat, as one equivalent to 1000 large calories or 100,000 British thermal units.

V.

VARIABLE RATE PLAN – A rate that fluctuates with the market during a specified contract period.