Rates up 15% at top Ga. gas seller

Market blamed: Residential consumers with variable-price plans to feel a greater pinch next month. Matthew C. Quinn - Staff Wednesday, January 24, 2001

Providing another shock for Georgia consumers, the state's No. 1 natural gas marketer has marked up prices 15 percent.

A spokesman for Georgia Natural Gas Services cited "market conditions'' in announcing an increase in the company's residential variable price from 99.9 cents per therm in January to $1.149 in February. The change is effective this week as 30-day billing periods begin.

The company's fixed price, which is guaranteed for one year after a customer signs, remains 89.9 cents per therm.

Angelo Fuster, a spokesman for Georgia Natural Gas, said rising wholesale prices were among the factors in the price boost. He also cited the fact that the marketing company had to purchase supplies on volatile spot markets for the 3,000 customers it was assigned Jan. 12 when PowerTrust Energy Services, a small Virginia-based marketer, exited the market.

Fuster said Georgia Natural is giving 20 percent discounts for February to about 15,000 customers who already receive $9 monthly discounts because they are 65 or older with household incomes below $10,000 a year. Those customers will be billed 89.9 cents per therm for February.

Georgia Natural Gas has about 550,000 customers and is owned by a partnership that includes AGL Resources, parent of Atlanta Gas Light Co.

Spokesmen for Scana Energy and Shell Energy, the other two leading gas marketers, said their companies will wait until the end of the month before announcing February prices.

Scana is currently charging $1.049 per therm for variable pricing plans and 91.9 cents for fixed-price customers. Shell is charging $1.29 under variable pricing plans and 89 cents per therm under fixed-price plans.

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), January 24, 2001