Starting Jan. 1, 2015, a consistent rate of $3.781/gigajoule will be phased in over three years for all customers in BC except those in Fort Nelson.

Energy utility FortisBC is preparing to introduce a common provincial rate for natural gas, resulting in some customers seeing an annual savings of more than $200.

The company says the change means that its customers in Whistler will save about $212 every year on their natural gas bills, while those in Revelstoke will see a decrease of about $154.

Customers on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Powell River will pay about $98 less annually, while customers everywhere else, including the Okanagan, will only save about $6 per year of a decrease of one per cent.

The estimates are based on average residential use in each area, with storage and transport rates also be slightly lessened which factors into the decrease.