Your First 30 Days with Natural Gas Made Simple: A Homeowner’s Guide

Georgia’s natural gas market can be a bit confusing, especially for new homeowners or anyone moving from out of state. Our market is deregulated, which means you as the customer get to choose your provider. This offers more freedom and flexibility for natural gas users. However, choosing a marketer, setting up service, and getting your home ready when you’re not an expert on natural gas can be difficult. That’s where we come in — we’re energy experts so you don’t have to be. Here’s a guide to make your transition to natural gas as smooth as possible.

Pre-Move

Understanding Natural Gas

When shopping for your new home, you’ll see many listings tout natural gas service and appliances as a benefit of the property. That’s because gas is an efficient, safe, and reliable form of energy for your home.

Natural gas is a cost-effective, energy-efficient alternative to energy options like electricity or propane, meaning lower energy bills that make a big difference over time. Plus, when properly cared for, natural gas appliances are reliable and durable, often with longer lifespans than electric alternatives. That means fewer home repairs and bigger monthly savings.

Purchasing a home that uses natural gas is a great investment for your budget.

Choosing a Provider

Choosing a provider when they all seem to offer the same service can be a challenge. Do you focus on price alone, or are there other factors that distinguish natural gas marketers in Georgia? While the gas is the same, the actual service and offers differ by provider.

At SCANA Energy, we offer a variety of natural gas rate plans and strive to make each interaction with us a great part of your day. Our friendly and reliable energy experts are on hand to help you choose the perfect plan and answer any other questions you may have about natural gas and the market.

Setting Up Natural Gas Service for Your New Home

Even if your home already has natural gas, you will be starting new service (not doing a switch) to get service started in your name. You can start natural gas service in 3 easy steps:

1. Call 1.877.467.2262 or visit scanaenergy.com to select a rate.
2. Go through the checkout process and provide all required information. Note: We do require a credit check to start service, but this does not affect your credit score.
3. Choose a start date and wait. You can schedule service up to 90 days in advance! Once a start date has been selected, a SCANA Customer Care representative will reach out to Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) to schedule service start as close to your selected date as possible. We will send an email with order details and service start information.

After all of this is done, you’ll receive a Welcome Kit via mail or email depending on your communication preferences. This Kit will confirm your start date, rate plan details, and provide terms and conditions for service.

Days 1 through 10

Check Appliances

After you’ve officially closed on your home, you should conduct a walk through and figure out which appliances use natural gas, like your water heater and stove. You’ll then have a better idea of how to care for them and ensure they function properly. Ideally, the previous owner will have left the appliance manuals for you to use, but you can find information online if needed.

Test Your Heating System

Even if you move in the middle of summer, you’ll want to check that your heating system is working so you don’t have to worry when winter comes. Find your thermostat and familiarize yourself with how it works. Check your HVAC system’s air filter and make sure it has been changed recently — a clean filter makes a big difference in the system’s efficiency, which in turn helps your natural gas bill. Finally, turn on the heat and let it run for a bit to ensure the system is working correctly. It’s always better to find a problem when you don’t need the heat to be working than to be stuck in a cold home waiting for a repair.

Natural Gas Safety

It’s also important to familiarize yourself with basic natural gas safety as you’re settling into your home. First things first, while natural gas leaks are not common, they do happen and it’s best to be prepared just in case. If you suspect a natural gas leak, leave the premises immediately. Once you’re in a safe location, call Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321 and wait for a professional to examine your home.

For those who aren’t sure they can detect a natural gas leak, just remember L.E.A.K.

• Listen for warning signs inside and outside your home. A faint hiss from your natural gas appliances and/or from within the ground may signal a leak.
• Eyes should be peeled for discolored flames and excess soot around a pilot light. Outdoors, monitor for bubbling water, blowing dirt, and/or dead vegetation.
• Aromas can signal a natural gas leak as natural gas has an easily detected “rotten egg” smell.
• Keep away! If you suspect there is a natural gas leak, leave the premises immediately and call 877.427.4321 or 911.

Days 11 through 20

Optimizing Natural Gas Efficiency

Once you’ve started to settle in and have the hang of your new appliances, it’s time to learn to properly care for them. Maintaining your appliances not only keeps them working longer, it also helps them work more efficiently and safely.

You can visit our blog for tons of home maintenance tips, but here are a few simple things you can do to help keep up your appliances:

• Change your HVAC filter regularly
• Ensure windows and outside doors are well insulated so your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard
• Set your water heater temperature to 120°F
• Optimize your thermostat settings for the season

These will help your systems run more efficiently, which helps them function longer and saves you money on energy bills.

Days 21 through 30 and beyond

Understanding and Managing Your Natural Gas Bill

Now that you’ve got your natural gas appliance routine down, you can focus on what to expect from your natural gas bill. We’ve got a handy guide to understanding your natural gas bill, but here are a few key terms you should know:

• Therm Therms are the actual energy supplied by the natural gas. These are calculated using the amount of heat energy stated in the BTUs multiplied by the amount of natural gas used.
• BTU British Thermal Units (BTU) measure the amount of energy used to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. In short, it’s the energy required to produce heat.
• AGL Pass-Through Charge This is a charge that all natural gas marketers collect on behalf of AGL for its services, such as gas delivery, pipeline maintenance, and meter readings. Atlanta Gas Light determines this charge and the entire amount goes to AGL.

Your first bill will come after AGL’s first reading of your meter. After that, bills come once a month as a billing cycle is typically around 30 days. If you’re ever confused by your charges, make sure you check the dates on your billing period and think about your gas usage at that time. If you have any questions regarding your bill, our Customer Care experts would be happy to help you. Give us a call at 1.877.467.2262 or fill out our contact form online.

Budget Planning

Natural gas usage ebbs and flows with the seasons, meaning it can be hard to plan for what your bill will be each month. That’s why SCANA Energy offers Budget Billing, a way to keep your bills consistent throughout the year. With Budget Billing, you pay the same amount every month so you never need to worry about any winter surprises. Visit our website to learn more.

Another way to keep natural gas bill payment easy and stress-free is through AutoPay. When you enroll in AutoPay, you can set it so your preferred payment method is charged on the same day each month. This way, you never have to worry about missing or late payments. SCANA Energy customers can enroll in AutoPay through their online account.

We’re excited for you to start your natural gas journey! Hopefully, you’re ready for your move thanks to our guide. If you still have any questions regarding natural gas, feel free to call us at 1.877.467.2262. Our Customer Care experts are happy to help with any of your natural gas needs.