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In many areas of the country consumers do not have a choice when it comes to what organization supplies their natural gas. Only one natural gas supplier operates within a given geography, meaning you are obligated to buy all of your natural gas from that single supplier. This of course can present many problems, which is why it is good to know that in California consumers do not have to endure the same arrangement. Instead, Californians can elect to use a different natural gas supplier than the utility supplier in the area. This applies to both residential customers and small businesses who are customers of major natural gas suppliers that are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. The CPUC calls this arrangement “core aggregation” service or “core transportation” service when a consumer’s natural gas supply comes from a supplier that is not the local utility. This practice of using a non-utility natural gas supplier has been around since the early 1990s. The point is that the system has been around long enough that any problems or kinks have been worked out of it. Even though the non-utility natural gas suppliers are not regulated by the CPUC like utility companies, there are some protections in place. About 107 million customers in California go through utility suppliers that are regulated by the CPUC. This includes large natural gas suppliers like San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas, Pacific Gas and Electric and Southwest Gas. That being said, consumers should proceed with caution before acquiring their natural gas supply through a non-utility supplier. These non-utility natural gas suppliers are not regulated in any way by the CPUC, which also does not endorse, approve or even license any of these non-utility suppliers. Prices charged by the non-utility suppliers are not overseen or approved by the CPUC, meaning you could theoretically be charged any amount as specified under your contract with the supplier. If you stick with a CPUC-regulated utility provider, the prices, delivery methods and even metering techniques are all strictly dictated and monitored by the state. Even though a non-utility natural gas supplier does not operate under the control of the CPUC, you as a consumer have recourse if you feel you are being taken advantage of by the provider of your natural gas. If you have a disagreement that you cannot seem to work out with your natural gas supplier, contact the CPUC for assistance. Considering that the CPUC has many resources at its disposal and that it is charged with protecting utilities consumers, you will likely come out with a satisfactory resolution. Even though they are not under the same regulations as utility natural gas suppliers in the state of California, non-utility suppliers cannot operate any way they like. There are certain rules of operation any natural gas supplier in the state must follow, whether they are utility providers or not. Even if you have signed up for service under a non-utility natural gas provider, your utility provider will still supply you with natural gas at your house or place of business. This means you still have to pay the utility company for providing the service of natural gas. Your actual natural gas bill can come from either your natural gas supplier or the local utility company, depending on the arrangement between the two. But this means that even if you pay your non-utility provider directly for the natural gas you use, part of the bill will be for the utility provider supplying you with natural gas. Emergencies happen and sometimes those emergencies involve smelling natural gas in your home or business. If you do ever smell natural gas inside a structure, get out as quickly as possible. Avoid turning lights on or doing anything else that could ignite the leaking gas, since that can cause a large fire or explosion. If you are purchasing your natural gas form the local utility company you call the utility for help with locating and correcting the natural gas leak. If you are purchasing your natural gas from a non-utility supplier, you do not contact the non-utility supplier for help. Instead you contact the local utility company that provides the service of natural gas at your home or business. The utility company will then send out a worker to locate and fix the natural gas leak as well as ensure the building is clear of natural gas fumes before letting anyone back inside. Sometimes non-utility natural gas suppliers falter and go out of business, cutting off the supply of natural gas you have been receiving for months or years. And sometimes a non-utility supplier is not able to supply as much natural gas as you need. Does this mean you have to take cold showers and cannot heat your home during the winter? Absolutely not! The CPUC has provisions in place for just those scenarios. Instead of consumers being left without natural gas, the local utility company that would normally have supplied your natural gas will step in and do just that. Consumers will actually not experience any kind of disruption or gap in their surface, meaning they will not know that anything has changed until they receive notice from the local utility provider. The good news is that consumers will receive natural gas from the utility provider at the price that is approved by the CPUC. This protects consumers who opt to not use their local gas utility service from having to endure a lack of building heat or hot water if their provider of choice falters or goes out of business. Many California residents and small businesses choose to purchase their natural gas from non-utility providers as a way to shop around for the best deal on natural gas service. There are some people who believe that an open marketplace for purchasing resources like natural gas for consumption in homes and businesses actually helps drive prices down, making regulation from the CPUC and other government bodies unnecessary. Still, it’s good to know as a California resident that the government has set up a safety net in case a non-utility supplier goes under. The uSwitch energy price comparison website is always recommended by author Sam Jones as being the best place to secure the cheapest prices from all of the main energy suppliers
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