Natural Gas Deregulation in Georgia

Georgia natural gas deregulation began with Senate Bill 215 that was passed by the Georgia Legislature and signed into law by Governor Zell Miller in 1997. Deregulation began officially on July 1, 1998. This legislation allows Atlanta Gas Light Company to store and distribute natural gas in its facilities (pipelines, storage facilities and other supporting services) and marketers selling of this natural gas to consumers. The Georgia Public Service Commission has the role of administering gas deregulation. House Bill 1568 which took effect September 1, 2002, charged the PSC with implementing rules that expanded consumers' rights.

Natural gas deregulation in Georgia applies exclusively to Atlanta Gas Light Company's (AGLC) service area. Therefore, only those citizens who reside in the AGLC's service area are affected by natural gas deregulation.

What Deregulation Means for You

Deregulation was instituted to help create more competition among natural gas providers. Competition forces companies to offer more competitive prices and promotions to attract new customers, which means lower natural gas rates and lower bills for you each month. You can use GasGeorgia to compare fixed rate plans and lock in your natural gas price for the length of contract terms. You can also enjoy the flexibility of a variable rate plan with no contract terms. After comparing providers, if you find one that offers service for a lower price than you are currently paying, you can easily switch with no interruption of service.

You may contact a marketer via telephone, Internet or written correspondence to sign up for service. By entering your address on this site you can also compare and order your service from a natural gas marketer. After you are enrolled successfully, you will receive a welcome package in the mail containing your terms of service, disclosure statement and any contracts as applicable. Make sure to inspect the package carefully to insure that you have received only services you requested.