Click here to see a graphic of Betty's natural gas picks
Consumers whose natural gas contracts might be expiring soon, or those who might be shopping for a new provider, might want to hold off until I do my annual comparison of natural gas offers later this summer.
Usually at that time, the suppliers are pretty competitive as they jockey for customers, and it gives us an opportunity to take a look at all of the prices as a whole.
The Beacon Journal has not set a specific publication date for that comparison, but look for it on a Sunday in late August or early September.
In the spring, I wrote that I was not renewing my contract with MXenergy and I was going to go on a monthly variable price for the summer months until I compared prices again in the fall. I returned to Dominion East Ohio, which would provide me with the state-approved formula price for two months on the Standard Service Offer (SSO) and the Standard Choice Offer (SCO), which is the same price from a randomly selected provider once I requested it.
(If you need a refresher on the step-by-step instructions, read the old columns online at http://www.ohio.com/energy)
However, if you’re at a point now where you are contemplating new contracts or trying to return to Dominion for a monthly variable, I’d tell you to hold tight. Since it can sometimes take one to two billing cycles for Dominion to complete the switch, and since we’ll be re-evaluating prices here in the next month or so, I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of a switch when we’re looking at new rates.
So here’s my temporary suggestion if you’re currently contemplating a renewal. Certainly, it’s up to you if you think the deal is too good to pass up; but make sure you ask about cancellation fees if you change your mind. Otherwise, my suggestion would be to tell the company that you want to switch to their own monthly variable plan. (Again, make sure you are done with your commitment and don’t have any cancellation fees.). This will allow you to be in a holding pattern without a long-term contract until we can fully evaluate prices. The monthly price from the provider will most likely be higher than the state-approved formula, but this is just for the short term.
— Betty Lin-Fisher
