Moving and Need Natural Gas Service in Georgia?

Moving and need to connect your natural gas service in Georgia? How to set up gas at a new address and choose a marketer.

Moving within the Atlanta Gas Light service area means two separate things have to happen: the gas has to be physically turned on at the new address, and you have to choose a marketer to sell you that gas. People often assume these are one step. They are not, and conflating them is how new arrivals end up on an expensive default rate.

Start two weeks out

Connections are scheduled, and in peak moving season — late spring through summer — appointments fill up. Two weeks is comfortable; a few days is not. If the gas is currently off at the property, a technician must come out, which adds lead time.

Step 1: choose your marketer first

This is the part most people get backwards. Enroll with a marketer before you need service to start. Your marketer initiates the connection request with AGL on your behalf, so picking one first makes the whole thing a single process rather than two.

If you move in without choosing, you can be assigned to a provider of last resort at a rate far above what you could have selected. Compare current Georgia natural gas rates before moving day and you avoid the problem entirely.

Step 2: know what you will be asked for

  • The service address, including unit number.
  • The date you want service to begin — aim for a day or two before you move in.
  • Identification, and possibly a credit check.
  • The AGL account or meter number if you have it from the seller or landlord.

A credit check may trigger a deposit request. If that is a concern, no-deposit and prepaid options are covered in poor credit? you have options.

Step 3: expect a connection fee

AGL charges a connection or turn-on fee for establishing service at a new address. It is set by the Georgia Public Service Commission, is the same regardless of marketer, and typically appears on your first bill rather than being collected up front. No marketer can waive it, so treat any claim otherwise with suspicion.

Which plan suits a move

The right answer depends on how settled you are.

  • Renting short-term or unsure how long you will stay? A variable rate plan has no term and no early termination fee, so you can leave without penalty.
  • Buying, or staying at least a year? A fixed rate plan gives a predictable rate through your first winter in an unfamiliar house.
  • Moving within Georgia? You may be able to transfer your existing plan to the new address — ask your marketer before enrolling afresh, especially if you are mid-term and would otherwise owe a termination fee.

Closing out the old address

Schedule the final read for your old home so you are not billed for the next occupant’s usage. Give a forwarding address for the closing bill, and confirm whether your contract transfers or terminates — if it terminates mid-term, ask whether the fee is waived for a move. Many marketers will waive it; you generally have to ask.

Your first bill at the new place

Expect it to look unusual: a partial billing period, a connection fee, and possibly a deposit. Understand your natural gas bill explains each line. Once a full cycle has passed you will have a real usage figure for the new home, which is the point at which it is worth re-checking whether your plan is the right one.

Set up service

Compare plans on the rate comparison page, or look at marketers directly: Gas South, Georgia Natural Gas, SCANA Energy or True Natural Gas. Moving to Atlanta, Alpharetta, Decatur or Savannah? The same plans are available across the AGL footprint.