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Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find a listing of the natural gas marketers certified to do business in Georgia?
What is this so-called "base charge?"
What are the average gas consumption figures for Georgia?
What is the are "pipeline fees," "interstate transportation charges," and the like?
What are "customer service" fees?
Are there any senior citizen discounts for gas?
How much does it cost and how long does it take to switch marketers?
How much market share does each marketer now have?
Where can I find a listing of the natural gas marketers certified to do business in Georgia?
Look here for a listing of the natural gas marketers certified by the Georgia Public Service Commission.
What is this so-called "base charge?"
All marketers include the AGL "base charge" on their bills. The charges marketers pass through to consumers are essentially the same as the "base charge" items on former AGL bills, but many of the marketers add their own charges. See the Base Charge page for more detail.
Some very nice additional information on base charges is available on the "AGL Charges" page at the PSC web site. Note that last time I checked, their math was wrong, but the information was correct.
What are the average gas consumption figures for Georgia?
The average residential DDDC is 1.29, average annual residential consumption is 887 therms, and average monthly residential consumption by month is: Jan 162, Feb 166, Mar 134, Apr 72, May 34, Jun 22, Jul 22, Aug 22, Sep 22, Oct 30, Nov 62, Dec 132.
What is the are "pipeline fees," "interstate transportation charges," and the like?
Interstate transmission fees are recovered by all marketers. These fees cover the transportation charges that the marketer or AGL (on the marketer's behalf) pays to get gas from wherever it is to the AGL pipeline system. Most marketers roll the pipeline fees in their gas consumption rate. However, some break out the pipeline fees separately and charge based on your DDDC, usage, or some other factor. A notable example of a marketer charging the pipeline fees separately is Energy America.
Don't confuse this charge with any of the line items in the "base charge." The interstate transportation charge is separate.
What are "customer service" fees?
If a "customer service fee" appears anywhere on your bill, your marketer is collecting it, not AGL (be aware that it may not appear as a line item on your bill, but be rolled up into the base charge numbers). This is somewhat irregular since in no other competitive industry do marketers charge specifically for customer service, but instead include it as part of the product or service price. This whole thing seems a lot like an attempt at adding "hidden charges."
Some of the marketers include the AGL Meter Reading charge in their Customer Service Fee line item rather than leaving it in the AGL Base Charge section. From this one might assume that the marketer is reading the meters rather than AGL, but it is unlikely that this is the case.
The pipeline fees AGL charges marketers to transport gas to your residence actually differ slightly depending on where you live, and you may see this reflected in your gas consumption or pipeline charges. AGL divides the state up in to two pools (click for a map), and the pipeline rates charged for delivery to Pool B are slightly higher than for Pool A. Some marketers charge different gas or pipeline rates depending on your pool, and others charge the same fee to everyone. All calculations on this page reflect Pool A unless otherwise noted.
Are there any senior citizen discounts for gas?
AGLC offers a program is for low-income senior citizens. To qualify for the discount, you must be a residential customer 65 years of age or older with a combined household income of $10,000 or less each year, the gas service must be in your name, and you must live at the address where the gas service is provided. If you qualify for the discount, the customer charge [portion of the AGL base charge] is subtracted each month from the rate calculations on your gas bill (regardless of the marketer you choose). Accounts with the Senior Citizens Residential Discount will state, "You qualify for senior discount. We have subtracted the discount amount from this bill." To get this discount, you must fill out a form you can get from AGLC or on the AGLC web site.
How much does it cost and how long does it take to switch marketers?
You can switch marketers twice in a year without extra charge (unless the marketers you choose have termination or sign-up fees). If you switch more frequently, you get charged $7.50 by AGL per additional switch. The switching cutoff is the 20th of each month. When you switch, you can expect it to take 30 days from the next 20th of the month to occur.
How much market share does each marketer now have?
Market share information as of August 11, 1999:
Georgia Natural Gas....31.3%
SCANA Energy Marketing....30.1%
Shell Energy Services....21.8% (includes the former Peachtree Natural Gas)
Others....16.8%.
© 2000 Barry E. Newton. All rights reserved.
