Will January Cold Run Up Natural Gas Bills?
Natural gas prices are still at a low for the past twelve months. However, with Atlanta homes being some of the largest in the country, gas bills can still get pricey this January. As reported by Atlanta New First, in 2022, Atlanta ranked seventh for the largest homes in the country. That amount of space is significant because about 42% of home energy use in the US goes toward space heating. So, let’s find out how much natural gas it takes to heat an Atlanta home this January.
What’s in Your Natural Gas Bill in Atlanta?
Your natural gas bill includes the base charge, charges for the cost of the gas you use, and taxes.
We have a deregulated gas market in Georgia, so you can choose from any available provider. However, the utility company, Atlanta Gas Light provides the services of delivering the gas to your home. Therefore, the utility gets a chunk of the money from your gas bill each month. These charges are called a base charge.
AGL calculates each consumer’s base charge using your Dedicated Design Day Capacity (DDDC) figure. This figure accounts for the actual amount of gas you used on the coldest day of the previous year. According to the PSC, the base charge for the average consumer (DDDC of 1.30) in January 2024 is $26.12.
How Much Gas Heat Will I Use in January?
With so many factors, it’s hard to predict with pinpoint accuracy what your January natural gas usage will be. For example, heat your home to 75 degrees all day long and you’ll pay more than if you keep the temperature at 68 degrees during the day and 60 overnight. House size, insulation, drafts, outside temperatures, and more also come into play.
However, we can get a good estimate!
The PSC gives us estimates of monthly bills for each provider according to the provider’s monthly published per therm rate. This includes the base charge, customer service charge, and estimated usage by per therm rate. The PSC estimates the average January natural gas usage to be about 125 therms, or 20% of annual usage. Taking an average of the monthly bill from providers you can find at Georgia Gas Savings, your January bill (excluding taxes) could be about $140.31.
January Bill for Natural Gas Heat in Atlanta
Hopefully these estimates help you know what to expect from your January natural gas bill. Keep in mind that all the figures are rough estimates based on averages. The $140.31 bill will be more accurate for people living in a home near the median size in Atlanta, or roughly 1,952 square feet. Meanwhile, the average apartment size in Atlanta is about 900 square feet. So, apartment dwellers might find a gas heat bill closer to $64.66.
For more information about natural gas in Atlanta and to shop for a new natural gas plan, visit us at https://www.georgiagassavings.com.