Question 1

How does CMS provide gas in an area that is managed by a utility?

Accepted Answer

Washington, Oregon and Idaho are Open Access Tariff states when it comes to nonresidential volume natural gas users. All utilities in the states are required to have a rate in which they only deliver the natural gas but allow the customer to source the commodity via an outside Marketer such as CMS.

Question 2

What does CMS do that allows us to save money?

Accepted Answer

Like the utility, CMS has access to capacity on the Interstate Pipeline. Meaning we go out and source your natural gas needs at a reduced cost, have it delivered via the Interstate Pipeline to the nearest gate station, at which point the utility takes over and delivers it to your facility. What separates us are three things: 
We have zero residential customers with which to subsidize the cost of the gas 
We primarily have balanced portfolio customers who use similar volumes in summer (when natural gas is cheapest) as they do in winter
We monitor markets and make purchasing decisions daily to maximize savings for our customer base. 
The utility is a governed entity not allowed to make or lose money on the cost of the commodity – they are very disincentivized to aggressively pursue savings measures on behalf of their customer base. Conversely, we are very much incentivized to save you money and continue earning your business.

Question 3

Do you have your own infrastructure that would service our area?

Accepted Answer

While CMS does not own any physical infrastructure, it is important to note that there are two components to every natural gas bill. The Delivery Charge – which will always be with the utility as the owners of all infrastructure beyond the Gate Station. The second, and where we come in, is the natural gas Commodity Cost itself. We have a business with 30 plus years of experience building customized natural gas buying strategies and helping customers make timely buying decisions to maximize commodity savings.

Question 4

How does your company make money?

Accepted Answer

Our company makes a margin on all gas volumes purchased on your behalf. This margin goes to cover our operational costs inclusive of the Utilities daily and monthly balancing requirements.

Question 5

What information do you need to evaluate our accounts?

Accepted Answer

Ideally 12 months of usage history (in therms). If that is cumbersome however, we can create an introductory analysis based on a singular copy of a utility invoice for your primary gas meter(s).

FAQs

How does CMS provide gas in an area that is managed by a utility?

What does CMS do that allows us to save money?

Do you have your own infrastructure that would service our area?

How does your company make money?

What information do you need to evaluate our accounts?

© 2026 CMS Energy Advisors