Natural Gas .. It's Time to Act
August 11, 2010
With the temperature being in the upper 90's once again -- yet again -- it seems pretty counter-intuitive to think about the warming abilities of natural gas ... especially when it comes to heating with it. And if you're like me, you don't even like to turn on your gas-fired stove or cooktop in weather like this.
For both commercial and residential utility customers in the Washington Gas service region, though, now is the perfect time to think about choosing to save on natural-gas bills, by using our company's services.
Right now, Washington Gas utility customers (both residential and commercial) in DC and Maryland are paying right around a buck per therm for natural gas. It's a bit less in Virginia. Specifically, for the month of August, here's Washington Gas' per-therm rates for both commercial and residential (unless otherwise indicated):
Maryland: $0.9871 (+ $0.0148 balancing charge)
DC: $1.0101 (+ $0.0108 balancing charge)
Virginia: $0.9040 (+ $0.0099 balancing charge) for commercial; $0.9688 (+ $0.0101 balancing charge) for residential
As of today, our residential natural gas prices for the Washington Gas territory in Maryland, DC and Virginia is at $0.73 per therm at a guaranteed price for one year, and $0.79 for a two-year price guarantee. That's about a 25Z%-ish reduction in rates (depending on the numbers you use).
We can't give an exact figure for commercial natural-gas pricing, since these types of contracts are individually. We can say for certain, though, that commercial accounts will see similar rate reductions.
When it comes to buying natural gas with us, think of your purchase as insulation from future gas-price spikes. These spikes can be caused by all kinds of events, like a huge hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, uncertain economic news, or (heaven forbid) a terrorist attack. Prices went way up immediately after 9/11, for example.
Unlike electricity, natural gas is bought and priced monthly by utilities like Washington Gas. So they can't tell you how much gas will be in September. You can look up future pricing for electric utilities like Pepco.
And just like electricity, Washington Gas still delivers your supply to your home or business via its pipes, and you'll still call Washington Gas if you smell gas or have other service problems.
Believe it or not, there's a "green" aspect to our natural-gas offering. While there's plenty of debate about natural gas's "greenness," our supplier is making its offering a bit greener for our residential customers. That's because we'll very soon match carbon offsets to a percentage of our clients' natural gas usage. These offsets will help to improve air and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region. This is something you can't get from your gas utility, and we're proud to bring it to you.
If you want to sign up for residential natural-gas service, you can visit our Residential page. For commercial service, visit our Commercial page to get the process started.
A Beginner's Guide To RECs
The PJM Interconnection serves the Mid-Atlantic, as well as parts of the Midwest and Southern U.S.
As businesses start the budgeting process for 2025, electricity supply costs across the PJM Interconnection region are rising, driven largely by an increase in capacity charges. Capacity charges, which ensure enough power is available during peak demand, have seen a sharp uptick, leading to higher rates, especially in the DC and Maryland areas. Both residential and commercial customers are facing these increases, with supply prices potentially rising by as much as 20%, significantly impacting operational costs. However, there is still time to mitigate the coming increase in supply rates. From simple energy efficiency upgrades, such as LED lighting or smart thermostats, to longer-term projects like solar panel installations and power walls, businesses have a range of options to reduce their energy consumption and control costs. These strategies can offer significant savings over time and position companies for more sustainable energy use. We encourage you to talk with business owners and decision-makers in your network about these rising costs. This is a great time to introduce them to Electric Advisors, where we can help them navigate these changes and find ways to reduce their energy expenses. Your referrals can play a crucial role in helping those in your network become more competitive. Best,
