Georgia Gas Shopping Guide - How to Get The Best Natural Gas Rate

What is The Best Natural Gas Rate?

Georgia gas deregulation began in 1997 when Governor Zell Miller signed Senate Bill 215. The legislation gave Atlanta Gaslight Company the power to store and distribute natural gas in its facilities (pipelines, storage facilities and other supporting services). Natural Gas Providers could then sell this natural gas to consumers.

The role of administering gas deregulation was given to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). Deregulation was officially instilled on July 1, 1998. Since then, millions of Georgians have saved on thier natural gas bills. This shopping guide is designed to help you understand the Georgia Residential Gas Market, and how to get the best gas rate.

How to Get The Best Georgia Gas Rate

Follow these 5 steps to get a cheap natural gas rate in Georgia:

Understand Your Natural Gas Usage
Know Your Credit Score
Understand the Terms and Conditions
Understand AGL Charges and AGL's role
Compare Georgia Gas Rates

Understand Your Natural Gas Usage

Understanding your usage, will help you to conserve gas and get the lowest rate. The first step is to determine which appliances in your home are natural gas. Do you have natural gas heating, a natural gas clothes dryer, natural gas water heater, or a pool heater? Each of these systems use large amounts of natural gas and can cause usage spikes during cold weather periods.

Know Your Credit Score

Your credit score is generally determined by your past ability to pay your debts. A score is generated based on your past payment history. This score, known as your FICO score is the Fair Issac Corporation rating of your risk. FICO Scores range from 300 to 850 points.

Georgia gas companies require a credit check to provide service. A Social Security Number or driver's license is required. Georgia gas companies will often use credit models based on telecom and utility payments (cable, electricity, cell phone) The thinking is that customers often pay their utility bills before they pay their credit card bills, so they should not be penalized for missing credit card payments when applying for utility service.

There are three major consumer credit ratings companies: Experian, Equifax and Trans Union.

Each one has a specific Utility Credit Model for use by Georgia Gas Companies:

TEC Score - Experian
Vantage Score - Transunion
Exchange Risk Score- Equifax

Your Georgia Gas service deposit may range from 0-$150 or more depending on your annual usage. The Georgia PSC has rules and protections that specify the maximum amount that deposits may be. Georgia Gas service deposit Rules

What If I Have No Credit History?

Many utilities and telecom providers do not provide payment histories to credit reporting agencies. So while you may have a 620+ FICO score, you may have a 400 Utility Score (because your previous Utility/Telecom/Electricity Company did not report your good standing) and have to pay a deposit. Many Georgia Gas Companies provide alternative ways to show previous utility credit. Most often this will be a letter from your previous Natural Gas provider stating that your account has been in good standing. One current example of flexible credit terms is that SCANA Energy will allow you to pay your deposit over 3 bills.

Understand the Terms and Conditions

There are 2 items in the terms and conditions that will have a direct effect on your monthly gas bill:

Customer Service Charges
- Customer service charges range from $4.99 to $9.99 and are based on credit history, payment history and usage.
Early Termination Fees
- Early termination fees range from $50 to $150 and are based on plan length and amount of time left in the plan should you cancel.

Understand AGL Charges and Role

Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) is the Local Distribution Company (LDC) for most of Georgia. AGL owns the pipes and meters that help transport gas to your home. They maintain the pipes, turn the gas on/off, roll the trucks when there's a problem, and read the gas meters. They transmit the readings to your Gas Retailer, who then bills you. AGL charges are added to your bill. These are highly regulated to protect Georgia Gas customers and are regulated by the Georgia PSC via rate tariffs. Ultimately, AGL charges can be about a third of your natural gas bill.

The key item to understand on the AGL portion of your bill is the DDDC Factor.

What is the AGL DDDC Factor?

The DDDC or Dedicated Design Day Capacity covers the costs of delivering natural gas based on a customer's demand on the system on the coldest day of the year. This method allocates each customer's share of the cost of the delivery system. It is recalculated every year to take into account any changes in your usage patterns.

Examples of changes in your usage patterns:
You change from electric heat to gas heat
You change from a traditional gas water heater to an on-demand gas water heater
You Install a gas pool heater

A DDDC recalculation is performed each year to update summer and winter usage patterns for each customer for the most recent year. The New DDDC goes into effect on or around September 1st.

AGL Base Charges for Residential Customers

Charge Name	Rate	How it's Determined
Customer Charges	$20.09	Per Customer
Dedicated Design Day Capacity	$1.83	Multiplied by the DDDC Factor
Meter Reading Charge	$0.71	Per Customer
Peaking Charge	$0.00	Multiplied by the DDDC Factor
Franchise Recovery Fee	$0.6255	Multiplied by the DDDC Factor
Social Responsibility Charge	$0.117	Per Customer
Customer Education Charge	$0.00	Per Customer
Environmental Response Costs Charge	$0.1367	Multiplied by the DDDC Factor
Synergy Savings	-$.02625	Per Customer
PRP and PRP-U	$0.00	Per Customer
Tax Cut and Jobs Act Refund	$0.00	Per Customer
Senior Citizen Discount	-$14.00	Per Customer

AGL Charge	Description
Customer Charge	This charge covers the fixed costs that are unique to an individual customer. (For example, the meter, regulator, and the service lines.)
Dedicated Design Day Capacity	This charge recovers all common costs of providing delivery service based on a customer's demand on Atlanta Gas Light Company's system on the coldest day of the year.
Meter Reading	This cost will recover the costs of reading the customer's meter.
Peaking Service	This charge recovers the cost of operating liquefied natural gas and propane. The charge is only applicable to certain areas of the state.
Franchise Recovery Cost	This amount is added to the customer's bill each month to recover fees that Atlanta Gas Light Company pays to cities for the right to use public rights-of-way for the company's gas lines and other facilities.
Social Responsibility Cost Rider	The Social Responsibility Cost covers the cost of providing a senior citizens discount to eligible customers. The rider is charged to all residential customers who are not receiving the senior citizens discount.
Customer Education	This charge covers the cost of providing customer education regarding deregulation. Program ended as of April 1, 2001.
Environmental Recovery Cost	This charge recovers costs associated with the environmental clean-up of Manufactured Gas Plants.
Synergy Savings	This credit lowers the fixed charges to all customers.
PRP and PRP-U	This charge covers the cost of specific GPSC-approved programs to maintain the integrity and reliability of Atlanta Gas Light Company's pipes system.
Tax Cut and Jobs Act Refund	This is the first of two refunds that will take place in July and October of 2018 due to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act Legislation
Senior Citizen Discount	This is a discount that is applied to low income senior citizen residential customers with an annual income equal to or less than $24,280.

Comparing and Shopping for Natural Gas

Natural Gas Providers

Company	Rating	Phone
Georgia Natural Gas®	(4.7/5)	866-533-1142
Gas South	(4.3/5)	855-339-1693
SCANA Energy	(3.9/5)	866-785-9969
Constellation	(3.8/5)	866-630-0685
XOOM Energy	(3.4/5)
5 results

Fixed Rate Natural Gas Plans in Georgia

Fixed rate natural gas plans in Georgia lock in a gas rate for a term ranging from 3 months to 5 years. The most popular terms are 12 and 24 months. They are best for shoppers looking for stable rates, and long term price protection. Fixed rate plans also have early termination fees that range from $50 - $150 depending on the amount of the remaining contract.

Fixed Rate Natural Gas Rates

Company & Plan	Term	Rate
XOOM Energy - RescueLock 12	12	$0.509
Constellation - 12 Month Home Natural Gas Plan	12	$0.499
Constellation - 12 Month A/C Protect Plus	12	$0.499
Constellation - 12 Month + Water Heater Protection	12	$0.499
XOOM Energy - SureLock 24	24	$0.499
XOOM Energy - SureLock 12	12	$0.479
Constellation - 24 Month A/C Protect Premier	24	$0.579
Constellation - 24 Month Home Natural Gas Plan	24	$0.579
Constellation - 24 Month A/C Protect Plus	24	$0.579
Constellation - 24 Month + Water Heater Protection	24	$0.579

Atlanta Natural Gas Rates as of: 10-03-2024. See all Fixed Natural Gas Rates.

Variable Rate Plans

Variable rates are best for customers who need flexibility, or are between contracts. Your monthly bill will change and vary with the fluctuations of the natural gas market. If it's a cold winter you will have high bills. There is risk in using these plans and we only recommend using them between contracts for just 1 month.

Variable Rate Natural Gas Rates

Company & Plan	Term	Rate
Gas South - Acquisition Variable	1	$0.290
SCANA Energy - Introductory Variable Rate - $100 Bill Credit	1	$0.299
Gas South - BridgePlan Variable	1	$1.730

Atlanta Natural Gas Rates as of: 10-03-2024. See all Variable Gas Rates.

Business Natural Gas Rates for Georgia

Whether you're running a hair salon, a sandwich shop, an industrial shop, or a major manufacturing enterprise, getting the right business plan can make a big difference to your bottom line. Comparing Natural Gas rates is easy.