1. United States
2. S.C.
3. Letter

Demand for Federal Accountability on Lost and Unaccounted Natural Gas To Congress, For the last 5 years, 2020 through 2024, the U.S. reported 812 billion cubic feet of lost and unaccounted natural gas. That’s according to EIA Table A1 in the Natural Gas Annual. At average citygate prices of 4 to 5 dollars per thousand cubic feet, that’s 3.2 to 4 billion dollars passed to consumers and taxpayers. This cost shows up on every gas bill and in every government building’s utility bill. It includes real leaks plus meter errors and accounting gaps, but EIA and PHMSA do not separate them. States set rates and allow utilities to recover this cost, but there is no federal requirement for real time leak detection, no penalty for high unaccounted gas, and no shared federal and state oversight. We demand: 1. A mandate that utilities use continuous leak detection technology and report it publicly. 2. PHMSA and EIA to publish annual state by state unaccounted gas data separating accounting errors from leaks. 3. utilities must credit ratepayers for verified data errors and losses. 4. Joint federal and state oversight with real field inspectors, not just paperwork. This is taxpayer money and public safety. We should not be paying for gas we never received. Pass this bill and fix the system. Sincerely, a person who can’t afford heat;