Summary of Natural Gas Choice Program:

Natural Gas Choice program gives customers, such as you, the opportunity to purchase gas from suppliers, often referred to as Marketers, other than your long-time utility company. Commercial and larger businesses have been using the choice program over the years, but with changes in governmental regulations, a choice is available to eligible residential and small business natural gas users.

Virtually all consumers can base their decision on price, incentives and/or services offered thanks to the highly competitive natural gas industry.

If you choose a different supplier from your utility company, you will still be considered a customer of your utility company. They will continue to deliver natural gas [from your new supplier] to your home or place of business, perform meter readings, provide billings, respond to emergency situations, etc. The only change will be your natural gas supplier, the people  you actually purchase the gas from.
 

Summary of Deregulation

Over the past ten years, the Natural Gas industry has been gradually deregulating, meaning that the government’s restrictions over private businesses has lessened. Deregulation within the natural gas industry has made companies more competition from alternative suppliers, inevitably creating more economical options for its customers.

The structure of the natural gas industry consists of three distinct components: supply, transmission, and distribution. Because of such acts as the Federal Power Act of 1935, Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act of 1978, Energy Policy Act of 2005, two relationships within the industry were created:  Natural Gas Suppliers to utility companies and utility companies to consumers. Local utility companies dealt solely with supply, transmission, and distribution.

Customers also had limited insight and flexibility over their natural gas suppliers, but since deregulation, customers have been given a choice.

Now that the rules have changed with deregulation, natural gas users, like you, are able to deal directly with utility companies and natural gas suppliers. Consumers also have the ability to view all available service packages and potentially “unbundle,” allowing them to choose amongst the phases: supply, transmission and distribution. Thus, giving you numerous economical alternatives to choose from.