Frequently Asked Questions

We have found that most customers who report they have not received their MFA code in their email when attempting to login to their account are using either Hotmail or Outlook as their email client. Hotmail and Outlook have a “Focused Inbox” feature that is enabled by default and presorts emails. This presort feature will often put the MFA code emails in the users junk folder. You can resolve this by classifying the MFA emails as “Not Junk” or by disabling the “Focused Inbox” feature. You can disable “Focused Inbox” by clicking “View” in the top menu and then clicking “Show Focused Inbox.”

We are working with our email administrators to remedy this issue so presort does not classify MFA emails as Junk. Until we have this resolved, please use the method above.

Contact us by calling toll free at 877-267-4764 to arrange for service to be established at a new address or disconnected at an old address, or you may submit an online request to start, stop or transfer service.

We consider disconnection a last resort when a customer’s bill has gone unpaid. However if your bill remains unpaid and no payment arrangements have been made, we may disconnect your service during the heating season unless the customer is in the process of making application for government energy assistance or in the process of making payment arrangements with Great Plains.

In addition, Great Plains will not disconnect service when adverse weather conditions exist. Please keep in mind, if you are having difficulty paying your bill, call us right away so we can work with you and avoid service disconnection.

There are no hook-up charges during normal business hours (8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Electric service to most manufactured homes can be disconnected by an electrician; some older manufactured homes have a plug-in service connection and can be disconnected by the owner. Great Plains will disconnect natural gas service to manufactured homes. Please call us at least three working days prior to the moving date for natural gas disconnection.

It depends on the individual situation. For example, if natural gas distribution facilities are close by and the meter hook-up and related piping are all that are required, there is no charge. If, however, natural gas facilities are not immediately available, you may be required to pay hook-up fees. The amount of the fee would depend primarily on the distance from our main line to the customer’s premises.

Several organizations and media outlets have recently raised questions about the impacts of residential natural gas cooking on indoor air quality (IAQ). While some of the studies cited have agreed more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn, some experts have raised concerns with the design of these studies. Nonetheless, IAQ claims are being used to drive policy discussions on natural gas. Click here to get the facts.

Reconnection fees are charged to pay for a portion of our service worker’s time associated with the reconnection. We feel the cost should be paid by the customer who caused the cost and not charged to all of our customers through our energy prices.

Our natural gas lines are normally buried between 18 and 36 inches deep. We caution all of our customers not to dig unless they have first notified us or a local One Call number so underground lines can be located.

No, your “Due Date” is based on a certain number of days from which a bill is generated which is determined by when your meter is read.

No. Post-dated checks are not considered legal tender.

Great Plains’ current rate schedules are available for your information at our offices or you may view the rates and tariffs online.

Our Pay by Bank Plan is available to residential customers whose account is current. After you have signed up for Pay by Bank, your monthly Great Plains bill will be deducted from your bank account approximately 22 days after the bill is prepared. Just as in the past, you will receive your normal monthly bill statement so you know how much has been deducted. To enroll in the Pay by Bank Plan, fill out the Pay by Bank Enrollment Form and mail it to Great Plains.

No, we do not have special rates for senior citizens because the difference would have to be made up by our non-senior customers. However, if you are having difficulty paying your bill, please call us so we can work out a payment arrangement with you.

Unfortunately, our current billing system cannot handle multiple accounts for a single customer. However, we are working on a new system that can handle multiple accounts billed within a five-day period.

Balance Billing is our average or levelized billing plan for residential customers whose accounts are current. We simply add your previous 11 months natural gas consumption to that of your current billing period, multiply times the appropriate rate and divide by 12. This procedure is sometimes called a “running average.” With Balanced Billing, wide swings in your monthly energy bills are held to a minimum allowing you to more effectively budget your monthly bills. For more information regarding Great Plains’ Balanced Billing program or to sign up for the plan, see the Balanced Billing section.

In order to keep your account current, we require you to pay any balance due resulting from Balanced Billing when you leave the program. Likewise, if you have a credit balance, we will refund it to you upon your request.

Therm billing is a method of more fairly charging you for the natural gas you purchase from us by billing you for the energy content of natural gas. Being a gas, natural gas expands in volume depending on the elevation of your residence or business. Also, our gas comes from many different fields and therefore can vary in its energy content. By recognizing these two variables and converting them to British thermal unit content of the gas you receive, you pay for usable energy not volume.

Yes, gas meters can be moved. The moving cost depends on how much service line must be moved, too. Please call us at 877-267-4764 for a cost estimate for moving your meter.

Residents of any of the 50 states can purchase common stock in MDU Resources Group, Inc. directly from the company and avoid brokerage fees. A minimum enrollment purchase of $50 is required. Call MDU Resources Group, Inc. c/o Shareholder Services at 800-813-3324 to get a prospectus and further information on our Automatic Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan.

Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal fuel assistance program that is administered by each state. Please call your county social service office or Great Plains Natural Gas at 877-267-4764 for more information on the agency in your county that handles LIHEAP applications. Find more information about LIHEAP by visiting our LIHEAP page.