When 11Alive News told her she was paying less than she would have with the deregulated carriers, she was quite surprised. Her city is one of 64 in Georgia that provide independent service and billing.
"When my friends and relatives are talking about their gas bills, I feel kind of ignorant because I can't look at anything and say, I am better than what they have, or worse off," she said. "When you (11Alive News) started doing the segments on city-owned utilities, I started asking,what do I really have?"
Bottom line -- the Covington utility bill uses meter reading and not therms, the natural gas cost that homeowners more clearly understand and can interpret.
11Alive Newswanted the bills changed so homeowners understood them without a calculator. Bill Meecham, utility director forthe city of Covington agreed. Starting next month, homeowners will get bills with specific per-therm rates, together with an explanation of what is included.
Meecham says that when it comes to getting natural gas from a deregulated provider, the purchaser must factor in the charges from Atlanta Gas Light, along with customer service and other fees to get a realistic price.
When added in,Meecham says a $1.09 deregulated per-therm price can quickly jump to $1.40 to $1.50.
"Our base charge we add to the total bill is somewhat less," Meecham said.
He says the Covington per-therm rate for January was $1.27, compared to $1.38 for Scana, $1.41 for Georgia Natural Gas and $1.29 for Fireside Natural Gas, once the other charges are added in.
And what about rates coming down? Meacham says they could drop as early as spring.
"After March I see the prices declining as long as the market stays down. And I see rates coming down a reasonable amount," he said.
That's welcome news for homeowners who do not have a choice in who provides their natural gas. />