Sustainable. Reliable. Safe. Affordable.
Natural gas is reliable, safe and flexible, serving customers’ everyday energy needs while supporting lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainability
With lower carbon emissions than other fossil fuels, natural gas supports sustainability goals designed to mitigate the impact of climate change on our community and our planet. When considering all impacts associated with energy use, households that use natural gas for heating, cooking and clothes drying produce less carbon dioxide equivalent emissions than comparable all-electric homes, according to a recent report by the American Gas Association.
Learn more about natural gas sustainability.
Reliability
Natural gas service disruptions are rare, affecting just 1 in 800 customers a year, according to the Gas Technology Institute.
Despite advances in electric heating technology, heat pumps are best suited for moderate heating and cooling needs. Heating and cooling contractors report that electric heat sources can become less efficient or stop working in temperatures at or below 35 degrees. Some communities served by UniSource, such as Flagstaff, average more than 200 days a year in which temperatures reach 35 degrees or below. Local contractors advise customers that a heat pump alone may not be sufficient to meet their heating needs.
Efficiency
The average U.S. home uses 40 percent less natural gas than it did 40 years ago, thanks to technological advancements and energy efficiency programs, according to the AGA.
Continued efficiency improvements have helped hold total residential gas usage levels steady since 1970, even as the number of customers served has increased by 86 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Safety
The dedicated efforts of natural gas utilities have led to an approximately 50 percent decline in pipeline incidents over the past 30 years, according to the AGA.
UniSource is a strong supporter of public safety and actively works to prevent damage to our facilities, reducing potential service outages and emissions. We continue to improve service and efficiency with improvements to our infrastructure. For example, we’re installing a network of digital pressure recorders that will improve system monitoring while supporting sustainability through reduced vehicle use.
The American Gas Association in 2020 recognized UniSource Gas as a top safety performer.
Our safety scores for employee and vehicular safety rank among the best of all gas companies of our size in Canada and the United States.
Affordability
Households that use natural gas for water heating, cooking and clothes drying enjoy energy cost savings compared to homes that use electric power for the same purposes, according to the AGA. This remains true even when natural gas costs climb because electric providers also rely on natural gas and pass those higher fuel and purchased power costs along to customers.
Economic Stability
The natural gas industry supports about 40,000 jobs in Arizona, according to a report by the American Petroleum Institute.
