How Natural Gas Deregulation Works in Georgia
Georgia deregulated natural gas in 1998. Atlanta Gas Light (AGLC) still owns the pipelines, delivers the gas, and handles 24-hour emergency response — but you choose a certified marketer to bill you for the gas itself. Customers who don't want to pick a marketer can fall back to a Regulated Provider that requires a refundable deposit.
Atlanta Gas Light delivers; marketers sell
Georgia was one of the first states to fully separate natural gas delivery from supply. Atlanta Gas Light stores and distributes the gas through its pipeline network and supporting infrastructure across most of the state, and keeps that role regardless of which marketer a customer selects. Marketers — certified companies authorized by the Georgia Public Service Commission — are the ones who actually sell the gas and handle billing and customer service.
Choosing a marketer is not mandatory
Customers aren't required to select a competitive marketer. Anyone who can't or doesn't want to choose one can be served by the Regulated Provider, a fallback option that requires a $150 deposit, refundable after six consecutive on-time payments. This makes Georgia's gas market functionally similar to how many states handle electricity choice — a default option exists, but shopping is optional.
Consumer protections built into the market
Georgia's Natural Gas Consumers' Relief Act guarantees a specific set of rights to gas customers regardless of which marketer they choose: reliable, safe, and affordable service; unbiased pricing information to compare offers; fair application of deposit and credit policies; protection against unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, and anti-competitive practices; accurate billing; and an efficient complaint resolution process. The Georgia PSC also publishes a marketer scorecard tracking complaint history and a pricing index, both useful before signing with a specific marketer.
What this means for a business
Commercial and industrial gas customers in Georgia shop the same marketer market as residential customers, though commercial contracts often involve different rate classes, usage-based pricing tiers, and longer contract terms than a typical residential plan. Comparing a marketer's quoted commercial rate against the PSC's published pricing index — and checking that marketer's complaint history on the scorecard — is worth doing before signing, the same way it's worth doing for any competitive energy contract.
Frequently asked questions
Does Atlanta Gas Light still deliver my gas after I choose a marketer?
Yes. Atlanta Gas Light owns and maintains the pipelines and handles 24-hour emergency response no matter which marketer you choose — switching marketers only changes who bills you for the gas itself.
Am I required to choose a natural gas marketer in Georgia?
No. Customers who can't or don't want to select a competitive marketer can use the Regulated Provider, which requires a refundable deposit but guarantees service.
What protections do Georgia gas customers have when shopping marketers?
The Natural Gas Consumers' Relief Act guarantees reliable service, unbiased pricing information for comparison, fair deposit and credit policies, protection from deceptive practices, accurate billing, and an efficient complaint process — and the Georgia PSC publishes a marketer scorecard and pricing index.
See this on your own bill
Upload your Georgia gas bill and Certo reads it for you — a free bill health score, a plain-English breakdown, and whether your marketer's rate is competitive.
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Plus and Pro track bill history, flag rate hikes and unusual usage, and (on Pro) build a custom efficiency checklist and savings tracker — so you're not re-checking this by hand.