How to Switch Natural Gas Providers

Many of the homes in the United States use natural gas. If you’re one of these Americans who relies on natural gas to heat your home and cook your food, then you understand the importance of saving money on your bill whenever you can.

Perhaps you recently compared your current rate to that of a friend’s. Is your rate more expensive? Have you had a poor customer service experience with your natural gas supplier? Are you tired of volatile monthly rates, or did you recently discover your fixed rate is more expensive than the monthly variable rate? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then you might want to consider switching to Shipley Energy as your new natural gas supplier.

Can You Switch Natural Gas Companies?

This is the first question you should ask yourself after determining that you’re unhappy with your current natural gas company. Some states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan, allow you to shop around for the right natural gas supplier thanks to natural gas deregulation. Other states have not deregulated their natural gas, which limits residents to rely solely on their local natural gas supplier.

Therefore, if you’re one of the states with deregulated natural gas, you have the opportunity and freedom to choose your natural gas provider for yourself. To appreciate this privilege fully, you should first understand what exactly natural gas deregulation is.

What Is Natural Gas Deregulation?

Natural gas deregulation is also known as customer choice programs or energy choice. If your state has laws in place that promote energy choice through natural gas deregulation, that means you can choose your natural gas provider. You have the freedom to compare costs and choose the supplier that is right for you. You don’t have to stay with one supplier or continue paying their prices if they skyrocket — you can switch natural gas companies whenever you choose.

Here’s how natural gas deregulation works. If you look at your natural gas bill, you will most likely see two items listed: the delivery charge and the supply charge. These two separate charges are totaled to determine your monthly natural gas payment. Your local natural gas distributor, or utility, sets the price for delivery fees, and there’s usually little you can do to change that price. What you do have control over, though, is the supply charge — where the natural gas comes from.

You can thank natural gas deregulation for that. Energy choice promotes competition among the various natural gas suppliers in your area. They compete for your business by offering lower prices or other benefits for choosing them over another company. You can choose the supplier with the lowest price, and your local utility will bring natural gas to your home like they do every month. The natural gas will just be coming from the new supplier of your choice.

4 Reasons to Switch Natural Gas Providers

If you’re still unsure why you should switch natural gas providers, here are four of the top reasons why it might be a good idea to do so.

1. Get a Better Rate on Natural Gas

This may be the most common determining factor in a customer being unhappy with their current natural gas supplier. A simple conversation among your peers could reveal that you’re paying the highest rate, and suddenly, you find yourself looking at your monthly bill a little more critically. There is likely another natural gas provider in your area who will offer you a better deal. You can switch to them as your supplier and enjoy a lower monthly rate.

2. Choose Between a Fixed Rate or a Variable Rate

Supply and demand cause the price of natural gas to change monthly. The rate you pay for natural gas each month can be either a fixed or variable rate. The following describes the differences between the two:

  • Fixed rates do not change from month to month. You’ll have an easier time budgeting with no monthly surprises, but there could be times when you pay more than the current market price.
  • Variable rates do change with the fluctuations of the market. You may have a harder time budgeting due to the monthly price differences, but you can benefit from saving money from month to month if the market price goes down.

Some natural gas providers let you choose between these two types of monthly rates. Shop around, find one that works for your budget, and make the switch.

3. Enjoy New Customer Incentives for Switching

Besides offering potentially lower prices, companies will try to entice you with other incentives for switching to them as your natural gas provider. These incentives can be anything from automatic delivery systems to the installation of equipment for new customers switching to natural gas. They might even offer you a lower starting rate. The benefits of switching natural gas providers are different for every company, so you should ask and see what the company will do to secure your business.

4. Receive a Better Customer Service Experience

Sometimes, a rude word on the phone, a long wait time, or a lack of empathy from a company representative is enough to send a customer packing. This is true across all businesses, including the natural gas sector. If you are unhappy with the customer service you receive from your current natural gas supplier, you have every right to look elsewhere for one that will treat you how you wish to be treated.

How to Cancel an Agreement With Your Current Natural Gas Provider

Now that you know why you should switch natural gas providers, it’s time to start making the change. First, you must understand the ins and outs of your current agreement. You can refresh yourself on this by looking over the paperwork or giving your current natural gas supplier a call. Sometimes, customers will choose to wait until their current agreement has expired to change providers, especially if that date is coming up soon.

If you want to cancel your natural gas contract before it expires, you will probably have to pay a termination fee. Compare this expense with the amount you’d be saving throughout the year with your new provider. If it’s less, then you’re safe to finalize the switch. If there is no termination fee, that’s even better!

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Natural Gas Provider

Once you understand how to cancel your natural gas agreement, it’s time to start the search for your new provider. Make sure you get all the information you can from the companies that you’re thinking of selecting. Get ready to write down their answers and make some side-by-side comparisons. Here are some of the most important questions to ask natural gas providers when you’re in the market:

  • What is the supplier’s current rate? This is one of the most important pieces of information because it quickly reveals if the supplier will give you a better rate than your current agreement.
  • How long is that rate effective? See if the supplier knows if the rate will go up or down in a matter of months. Don’t let them lock you into paying more than you have to.
  • Are taxes included in the price? It’s a good idea to make sure of this so you’re not caught off guard when your first new bill comes in the mail.
  • Is the price a fixed or variable rate? There are pros and cons to both, and you should go with the type of rate that suits your needs.
  • Does the supplier offer new customers an incentivized rate? Some suppliers will entice you to sign up with them by giving you a lower starting rate. Find out if or when that rate will change and what it will become.
  • What have been the supplier’s rates over the past few years? This information can give you an idea of how the supplier’s rates have changed over time and what kind of changes you can expect from them in the future.
  • Will the supplier notify you when rates change? This will give you a peek into the kind of customer service you can expect from them. The more informative the company is, the better.
  • Does the supplier offer any bonus incentives? Ask this to find out how far the company will go to secure your business with them.
  • What is the length of the agreement? Understand how long of a commitment you’d be making if you choose them.
  • Is there an early termination fee? If you’re unhappy with your new provider, you can switch to another at any time. Just make sure you understand the terms of your agreement.

You’ll find throughout your conversations with these providers that more questions will arise. Use this opportunity to learn as much as possible and further your search toward finding your new natural gas provider.

How to Switch Natural Gas Providers

By this point, you should have the information to help you make a decision that will be in your best interest. Now it’s time to start making the switch. Follow these three steps to form a new agreement with a natural gas supplier you can be happy with!

1. Search for a New Natural Gas Provider

States with deregulated natural gas usually have a “utilities service commission” or something similar. This organization compiles data from every natural gas provider to openly display current rates and prices, letting residents of that state compare the options available to them. Users input their ZIP code into the commission’s online service site to find the best deals near them. Shipley Energy invites you to use their online service to find a better energy plan.

Following the prompts, you can browse all the possible companies you can choose to be your new natural gas provider. These tools make it easy to compare rates and further your research.

2. Contact a New Natural Gas Supplier

Once you’ve pinpointed a possible new supplier, you should establish contact. Ask them important questions to get all the information you can. While you are free to switch natural gas suppliers at any time, it could become a bit of a hassle if you find yourself wanting to switch every few months because of a lack of information upfront. If you ask the right questions and keep track of your answers, you’ll soon find your new natural gas provider.

3. Choose Your New Natural Gas Supplier and Make an Agreement

When you’ve come to a decision, all that’s left to do is sign up for service. You can do this either through your chosen supplier’s website or by giving them a phone call. Thankfully, you are safe from experiencing the uncomfortable process of terminating your previous agreement. Your new supplier will handle all the paperwork and contact your local utility to let them know of the change in natural gas providers.

Why Choose Shipley Energy as Your Natural Gas Provider?

Located in York, Pennsylvania, Shipley Energy has provided quality energy services to Central Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas for over nine decades. We’ve done a lot of growing since our humble beginnings, and we’ve made a lot of relationships along the way. As a family-owned business in its fourth generation, we commit to forming meaningful relationships with each of our customers. We take pride in providing the best customer service and support available. With Shipley Energy, you can feel confident that your natural gas needs are in good hands.

Our customers are consistently pleased with our services because we provide the most dependable delivery services available with our 100% electronic technologies. Thanks to our bulk storage facilities, we can offer our No-Run-Out Guarantee. Combined with our 24/7/365 service, we promise that you’ll never run out of fuel as long as you’re with Shipley Energy.

We even provide the option to combine your monthly payments with our Equipment Protection Plan. With this plan, our service to you will go beyond our reliable energy delivery — we will also repair and service your equipment to make sure your energy needs are always met. Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with trusting a knowledgeable and reputable company to be your natural gas provider. We want to be your supplier for the long haul.

Contact Shipley Energy and Make the Switch Today

Choose Shipley Energy as your new natural gas supplier. If you are unhappy with your current service, you have the freedom to choose a supplier that meets your needs treats you the way you deserve as a valued customer. We believe you’ll see that Shipley Energy is the natural gas provider for you.

We’d love to hear from you and discuss how Shipley Energy can meet your energy needs. We encourage you to check our current rates and give us a call at (855) 212-6676 or contact us online.

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