Recently, a friend of mine relocated and bought a house in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia. He soon discovered that the city that has Braves, Hawks, Falcons and Yellow Jackets, is also home to natural gas deregulation. Being that he had never lived in a city with deregulation, he got in touch with me to find out how to choose his natural gas company.

Knowing that my job lets me know more about the energy industry than most, he mentioned that he was trying to find not just any energy company, but an energy company that gives back to the community. He struggled with how he was going to save and conserve energy, seeing that he had just bought this "big, beautiful Georgian mansion" that he wanted to enjoy.

With many companies to choose from, it might seem hard to make a natural gas choice. I let my friend know a few tips to help with his decision -- tips that I now want to share with you:

• Shop for the best price. It's your right as a Georgian, so use it.
• Know what each plans means. Not sure what "fixed" or "variable" rates mean? Find out so you can save the most.
• Worried about bruised credit making you pay too much? Check out prepaid options to help get your bill lower.
• Conserve energy by being energy conscience. Quick tips include: Use a humidifier in colder months; check your furnace filter frequently; and, lower the temperature setting on your washing machine.

So we're talking about Georgia—not the one with fuzzy fur hats and caviar—the one with peach pie, Atlanta and the Braves. The namesake of King George II and one of the original thirteen colonies, today's Georgia boasts a rapidly increasing population estimated at nearly 10 million.

We are talking about a lot of people here, and somehow these people need access to a constant and reliable energy source that won't degrade the beautiful environment that so many of us Americans call home.

MXenergy has a viable solution to the problems plaguing Georgians. It's called the MXenergy Earth Friendly Partnership^sm and here's how it works. You pay a few cents more a day than what you might normally spend on your utilities, and those extra pennies will cover the rest to ensure your home is "carbon neutral." The MXenergy Earth Friendly Plan offsets your home's emissions by planting trees on your behalf. A home that offsets 100% of CO2 emissions is considered carbon neutral.

I know most of us think saving the environment is the right thing to do—but we all just love our SUVs and our two-story, air-conditioned "MacMansions." This is your chance to do rather than just say; your way to create a difference without creating an inconvenience

Let's think about this for a second. If we all do our share—carpooling when we can, turning lights off when they're not needed and using an environmentally conscious energy supplier such as MXenergy, together as a community you, I and all energy consumers can impact the world that we leave our children. If that won't help you sleep at night maybe you need a new mattress (which incidentally could take 20-25 years to fully degrade in a landfill).

Everything you ever wanted to know about natural gas in Georgia is just a click away. With the suite of tools provided by Squidoo.com, Georgians now have a great resource for natural gas literacy. Learn about deregulation, natural gas history, ways to save on your gas bill, natural gas and the environment and so much more. Visit, rejoice, dance, click with abandoned constraint and connect to your natural gas Mecca today.

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