Choosing
a Natural Gas Supplier
National
Fuel would like to remind its customers that persons
coming to their home on behalf of the Utility
carry photo identification.
-
National Fuel’s employees DO have
need to visit customers’ homes for operational
purposes including meter reading, construction
work and in the case of an emergency. These
persons will carry an identification card and
will produce that identification without resistance
if asked for it.
- National
Fuel employees do NOT visit customers’
homes to discuss account matters, to view a
customer’s gas bill or to ask them to
sign any sort of agreement.
- Click here for tips from the New York State Consumer Protection Board on door-to-door sales of natural gas supplies.
Click
here to
learn more.
What
Choice Means
Over the past few years, the natural gas industry
has undergone the process of deregulation. As
part of that process, natural gas customers now
have the option to purchase gas from their Utility
or a non-Utility natural gas supplier, also called
a Marketer. This change was directed by regulators
in the hopes of replacing traditional regulated
Utility service with a competitive retail marketplace
where the Utility would continue to provide delivery
of natural gas through its pipeline system but
where customers would be free to purchase their
natural gas supply from a competitive supplier,
if they so desired..
It's
important that you know that no matter whom you
choose to supply your natural gas, National Fuel
will be there to deliver it to you - even if the
supplier you choose isn't us. It's still our job
to deliver your gas through our pipeline network
to service your home or business. So no matter
what choice you make, we'll be there to deliver
natural gas to your home, safely and reliably.
Safety
& Delivery
Whether you decide to have National Fuel or a
Marketer provide your natural gas supplies, the
choice is up to you. But when it comes to your
service, you can be assured that National Fuel
will be there to maintain the pipeline network
that serves your home or business, and to respond
if there's an emergency. We'll continue to deliver
natural gas to your home - safely, efficiently
and reliably, just like we have for the past 100
years. Even if the natural gas supplier you choose
isn't us.
Because
we own and are responsible for the thousands of
miles of pipeline serving our customers, even
if you decide to purchase your gas from another
company, you should continue to report gas emergencies
and other safety problems to
our 24-hour emergency number: 1-800-444-3130.
Making
A Choice
When
considering other natural gas suppliers, you should
take the same approach as you would in contracting
for other services for your home. Ask about rates,
request references and take the time to speak
with current customers. To help you with this
process, we have composed a list of questions
to ask Marketers. To view our list of questions,
click here.
If
you choose to purchase your gas from a Marketer,
National Fuel will be notified of your decision
and we will send you a letter to confirm your
intent. Your account will be updated automatically
and you will receive your future bills from either
National Fuel or the Marketer, if they provide
that service. In some cases, depending upon which
Marketer you choose, you may receive one bill
from National Fuel and one bill from the Marketer.
State
regulatory agencies in New York and Pennsylvania
and National Fuel must authorize natural gas suppliers
seeking to sell natural gas to customers on our
utility pipeline system. Although we cannot recommend
a particular supplier or guarantee its performance,
we can provide you with a list of authorized Marketers.
To view this list of authorized Marketers, please
see below.
A Note About Consumer
Protection Changes – New York
As a general rule, customers purchasing gas from Marketers receive the same consumer protections as the customers who purchase gas from the Utility. There are, however, important differences. The primary difference is that gas service from a competitive supplier is governed by a contract between you and the supplier. The price under that contract is not subject to the oversight of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC).In addition, unlike Utilities, all competitive suppliers are not obligated to provide service to all qualified applicants. And finally, unlike Utilities, competitive suppliers are allowed to abandon service or end operations without the prior approval of the PSC.
To
view your Rights and Responsibilities as a natural
gas customer, click
here.
Understanding
Your Gas Bill
Under
the traditional arrangement, National Fuel purchases
gas for you, passes on that cost without mark
up, and delivers the gas supply to you at a regulated
rate that includes our costs of doing business.
To assist you in understanding your natural gas
bill so that you can make a choice of natural
gas suppliers, and to help you differentiate between
your supplier costs and the delivery costs, your
bill format lists Gas Supply Charges
and Delivery Service Charges
separately. Click
here to view a sample of what this section
may look like on your bill.
Gas
Supply Charges are the actual costs of
the natural gas you purchased from National Fuel,
or, if you choose, from an authorized Marketer.
Delivery
Service Charges are the costs of delivering
gas to you through National Fuel's pipeline system,
which is owned and operated by the Utility. These
costs are regulated by the state regulatory agencies
in New York and Pennsylvania and are the same
price for all of our customers, no matter which
supplier you choose.
If
you choose to purchase your gas from another supplier,
National Fuel will be notified of your decision
and we will send you a letter confirming your
intent to switch. Your account will be updated
automatically and depending on the supplier, you
may receive a separate bill for your gas supply
from your new gas provider and a bill for the
delivery service from National Fuel.
Questions
to Ask Gas Suppliers
When
considering natural gas suppliers, you should
use the same thorough approach you take in contracting
other services for your home or business. The
more research you do, the more educated your decision
will be. Here is a list of questions designed
to help you make a choice that is right for you:
- Were you found eligible by the New York State Public Service Commission or Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, as applicable, and National Fuel to provide sales service in National Fuel's service territory? (Please note that National Fuel’s determination of eligibility is not an endorsement of that supplier’s service or reputation).
-
How long have you been a natural gas supplier?
How many customers do you have?
-
What are your rates and how do they compare
to my current rates?
-
Are your prices fixed, or can they go up or
down during the year as gas costs change?
-
What are my payment options? Do you have balanced
billing, direct pay or accept credit card payments?
Do you charge for these services?
-
What is the term of the contract? Will I be
penalized if I break the contract?
-
What happens if I move from my current address?
-
Does your price include all fees and taxes?
Do you assess a late payment charge?
-
How can I be sure that my bills are accurate?
-
Is a basic service charge assessed even if I
don't use any gas?
-
Can an energy assistance grant like LIHEAP/HEAP
or Neighbor for Neighbor be applied to my account?
- How
will I be billed? Will I receive a consolidate
bill or separate bills from the Utility and
the Marketer?
-
Who will I call for billing questions? What
are your business hours?
- Do
you provide any other energy-related services?
-
What happens if your company folds while I am
under contract with you?
-
Will your price be less than what I would have
paid as a customer of National Fuel?
-
What special services do you offer handicapped,
elderly or payment-troubled customers?
-
Do you have a special low-income or senior citizen
discount rate?
-
Do you offer discounts based on gas volume used?
-
Do you have a small business rate?
-
Where do you obtain your gas supplies?
- Will
I be required to pay a security deposit or make
advance payments?
- Are
you authorized to terminate my gas service without
initiating a transfer of my service back to
the utility?
Authorized
Gas Suppliers
Please
click on one of the links below to find a listing
of authorized suppliers by category:
New
York
- Suppliers
currently accepting customers
- Suppliers
That Have Informed Us That They Are NOT currently
accepting customers
Pennsylvania
-Authorized
SATS Suppliers
New York Customers
The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC)
adopted the “Customer Choice” program
in 1996 giving natural gas customers the option
to purchase gas from their Utility or a non-utility
natural gas supplier. We encourage you to research
this option and if you have any questions, please
call us.
For
more information about energy competition in New
York State, click
here to be directed to the PSC’s Web
site. You may contact the PSC’s Helpline
at 1-800-342-3377 if you would like to make an
inquiry or file a complaint about your service.
If you have a complaint about your non-utility
supplier, contact the PSC at 1-888-697-7728.
PACE
Program
National
Fuel, in collaboration with the State Office of
Temporary and Disability Assistance and the Public
Service Commission, has led an effort to bring
the benefits of natural gas competition to some
of the area's neediest low-income customers. This
effort, called the Public Assistance Cooperative
for Energy, or PACE Program, initially started
with about 8,000 residential customers in Erie
and Chautauqua counties in April 1998, with Niagara
County joining in later in 1999.
Under
the PACE program, the counties combine, or aggregate,
their own gas supply needs with the needs of certain
groups of welfare recipients. The counties then
put their requirements out for a competitive bid.
In response, gas marketers submit proposals and
the counties award contracts to the lowest qualified
bidders. National Fuel continues to provide delivery
service and remains responsible for all meter
reading, billing and gas safety matters.
National
Fuel is pleased to have assisted the local social
services agencies in taking advantage of opportunities
presented by the emerging competitive natural
gas marketplace.
Pennsylvania
Customers
Energy Choices for
Residential Customers
Since the early 1980s, gas Utilities in Pennsylvania
have been providing transportation service for
larger, nonresidential customers who contracted
with a marketer to secure gas supplies. More recently,
the state governments have decided to bring the
benefits of energy choice to small businesses
and residential customers, so non-utility suppliers
have begun to market their services to these customers.
Gas
Restructuring Filing
As
part of the Natural Gas Choice and Competition
Act signed into law by the Governor, each natural
gas Utility in the commonwealth was required to
submit a restructuring plan to the Pennsylvania
Public Utilities Commission (PUC) by November
1, 1999. The filings are intended to show how
the utility companies will allow customers to
access competitive gas supplies sold by PUC-licensed
natural gas suppliers.
National
Fuel's plan to address supplier choice and other
requirements of the law was filed October 1, 1999.
Under the plan, National Fuel's customers are
able to choose their own natural gas supplier,
as they have since the company's system-wide choice
plan became effective on March 4, 1999. The restructuring
filing was designed to bring the Company's existing
choice program into compliance with the new law.
You may view the Company’s filing, but note
that it will open up in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Click on the following link to proceed: Natural
Gas Choice and Competition Act Filing Docket No.
R-00994785 
Important Notice: Electronic
versions of official documents may differ from
the hard copy version available from National
Fuel. Information provided on this Web site is
intended to provide immediate access to the substance
of documents; however, appendices may be omitted
from the text. Due to software differences, footnotes
may be omitted from the text; document words and
lines spacing, text position and page numbers
may differ from the hard copy version. Although
results may vary depending on your software package,
it is recommended that downloading and printing
be performed. To obtain documents in hard copy,
please contact R. M. Friedrich-Alf by telephone
at (716) 857-7059 or by e-mail.
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