Is Natural Gas Use Up This Winter?
It’s no secret that your natural gas bill goes up in winter. But how does natural gas use this winter compare to last year? According to the Georgia PSC, people are using about the same amount of natural gas therms. Specifically, the PSC estimates the average consumer will use about 125 therms in January. That’s around 20% of your natural gas use for the entire year. This answers the question, how much natural gas will you use in Atlanta this winter. But maybe the more important question is, how can you save more on Georgia gas prices? Let’s find out.
Comparing Fixed and Variable Rates for Gas Savings
For natural gas savings in winter, it often makes sense to lock in a cheap fixed rate. Let’s compare three fixed rate plan costs for January with the costs for the standard variable rate from each provider. These estimates only include what you pay for the gas you use. That is, the AGL monthly charges, base rates, and taxes are not added in because they don’t vary significantly between plans.
First, we have the Constellation 12 Month Home Natural Gas plan at $0.649 per therm. The cost for the month, using the PSC usage estimate of 125 therms, is $81.13. How does this compare to what you would pay with the provider’s standard variable rate (SVR)? It’s a much higher variable rate so January therms would cost you $141.25. That’s $60 higher!
Second, we will look at the Georgia Natural Gas®12 Month Fixed plan. This plan has a $0.649 per therm rate. However, a $0.05 per therm reward through their Greener Life® program (free for one year) effectively takes the rate down to $0.599. At that price point, natural gas in January would cost you about $74.86. So, what’s the difference with the SVR? For this provider, you would pay $312.38 due to the high variable rate. That’s a difference of more than $235.
Finally, it’s the Scana Energy 12 Month plan. With a $0.699 per therm rate, natural gas for the month would run you about $87.38. Once again, this provider has a high variable rate for the month. Their SVR would cost you $261.25 for January therms alone. That’s a difference of nearly $175.
Saving on Natural Gas in Atlanta This Winter
Keep in mind that each provider’s standard variable rate change each month. Therefore, their variable rates are more susceptible to shooting up during high demand periods, like winter. Combine that with the fact you use more natural gas in the winter anyway, and you’ll see that variable rates can really take a big bite out of your bank account in January.
So, to save money on natural gas in winter, avoid staying with a provider’s standard variable rates. Lock in a cheap fixed rate plan instead and you’ll save more. You can find your best natural gas plan at https://www.georgiagassavings.com.