Searching for “natural gas rates near me?” It’s easy to find gas suppliers if you know where to look. In this article we explain the difference between natural gas suppliers versus utilities plus how to find natural gas rates in your area.
Summary: You can find natural gas rates near you by viewing the shopping site run by your state’s utility regulators, or by using a comparison shopping site like NaturalGasPlans.com. Either way, be sure to review not only the rate but also the term, monthly fee and any termination fee. In some states like Georgia you must shop for a supplier; in other states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan you can choose your utility for a rate that changes monthly, or a competitive supplier that offers fixed rates.
Natural Gas Utility vs. Natural Gas Supplier
Natural gas deregulation means that the delivery of your natural gas is separate from the supply of your natural gas.
You will have one natural gas company that delivers the gas to your home and handles emergencies. That’s the utility company, and who you might refer to as your gas company.
The gas company that delivers your gas is based on your service address. You can’t change your natural gas utility company.
If you’re in a deregulated market, you will also have a competitive gas supplier or provider. This company will purchase natural gas for you at a set price, and coordinate delivery with your utility company.
If you live in Georgia, that provider will also provide your gas bill, including both delivery and supply charges. In Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, your gas utility company sends your bill, with your chosen supplier as a single line item on the bill.
Now let’s move on to answering how to find natural gas prices near you. The easiest way to do this is to search natural gas providers by state and zip code.
How to Find Natural Gas Rates Near You
When you shop online, whether it’s your state-sponsored shopping site or natural gas rates comparison site, your first approach is to get a list of natural gas providers by zip code. Then you can compare natural gas prices that they offer.
Find Natural Gas Rates in Ohio
If you live in Ohio you have a choice. You can purchase natural gas from your local utility company. Or you can purchase gas from a supplier.
You can find natural gas rates by utility in Ohio through the state-sponsored Energy Choice Ohio site. But if you are new to the area and don’t know your utility? That’s not really helpful. You can’t shop natural gas rates by zip code on that site.
NaturalGasPlans.com lets you compare natural gas rates by zip code. You’ll not only get a list of providers near you, you’ll also see the name of your utility company and their current standard service offer. This approach makes it easy to compare gas rates in Ohio. Much easier than the state “apples to apples” site.
If you buy from the utility company, your rate will change periodically, usually monthly or quarterly based on wholesale market conditions. If you switch to a supplier you can get a fixed rate that protects you from price changes.
>Read more on how to shop for natural gas in Ohio
Note that if you participate in the Ohio Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) you are not eligible to switch from the utility to a supplier. Additionally, if you are moving to the area, you must contact your utility company first to establish an account, then you can shop for a provider.
Find Natural Gas Rates in Georgia
If you live in Georgia, specifically the Atlanta Gas Light utility area, you must select a natural gas supplier. You can’t purchase gas from AGL, the local utility.
You can find natural gas rates in Georgia through the state-sponsored site. The Gas Marketers Pricing Comparison is a series of PDF files posted by the Georgia Public Service Commission. Gas suppliers update their offers at the beginning of each month.
But it’s not interactive. It’s a lot of fine print. You can’t sort by price and there are no active links to purchase the natural gas rate once you select it. We recreate their PDF every month in a sortable chart. You can find that below, and get more information on this page on residential natural gas rates in GA.
GA Natural Gas Rates This Month (price per therm)
| Marketer | Variable Rate | 6 month | 12 month | 24 month | 36 month | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constellation Energy | – | – | 56.9¢ | 57.9¢ | 59.9¢ | Plus monthly customer charge of $7.95. 90-days satisfaction guarantee with no termination fee. |
| Gas South | 59¢ | 61¢ | 71¢ | 77¢ | – | Plus monthly customer charge of $9.95. $25 bill credit on first bill with promo code NGP; must select fixed rate plan. No deposit required. |
| Xoom Energy | – | – | 66.9¢ | 69.9¢ | – | Plus monthly customer charge of $5.85 |
| Fuel Georgia | $1.29 | 79¢ | – | Plus monthly customer charge of $6.00 | ||
| Georgia Natural Gas | $2.26 | 68.9¢ | 74.9¢ | 76.9¢ | – | Plus monthly customer charge of $4.99-$9.99 depending on your credit and contract term. |
| Town Square Energy | 59¢ | – | 71.7¢ | – | – | Plus monthly customer charge of $7.95 |
| True Natural Gas | $1.89 | 67¢ | 69.9¢ | 73¢ | – | Plus monthly customer service charge of $3.45-5.95 |
| SCANA Energy | $2.02 | 73.9¢ | 69.9¢ | 69.9¢ | 71.9¢ | Plus customer service charge of $6.95 |
| Walton EMC | $1.99 | 72.5¢ | 77.5¢ | 75.9¢ | – | Plus $5.95 monthly customer charge. Metro Atlanta only. |
Source: Georgia Public Service Commission, provider web sites plus special offers negotiated directly with providers.
Or you can shop Georgia natural gas rates online using a site like NaturalGasPlans.com. Just enter your zip code and you can sort by price and select plans base on features.
>Read more on how to shop for natural gas in Georgia.
