Natural gas pricing is derived using an equation commonly known as rate making which is overseen by the PUC or the Public Utilities Commission. This organization makes sure that the rate that you pay is fair. The Public Utilities Commission has federal and state branches that have this authority over your particular area.

A utility such as those involved in natural gas pricing does not profit from selling you the product that it produces. The amount that the utility pays to produce the product is exactly the same as what you will pay for it. It might seem that there is no way that a company, corporation, business or utility could stay operational selling at cost, and while that is true in many cases, it is not true with utility companies. The rate on your monthly statement includes other charges besides the natural gas pricing. This is how the utilities are able to stay afloat in today’s economy.

Some of those charges are for the storage of their product, the transportation of it, and the delivery method and costs. Involved in the transportation and delivery are all of the pipelines and technicians that are necessary to safely transport it from the production facility to your home. Other charges are for operating the power plant and the materials necessary to do so. Support staff is necessary throughout the operation and you are paying for their services as well. All of these things are indicators of what is added into your natural gas pricing to reflect the final statement that you receive each month.

In today’s market, many states have decided to deregulate energy which in turn allows for competition among the individual power utilities. In some areas you can choose one company to market your product or buy it from the plant, and then still yet another to deliver it. By being able to make all of these various choices, you are able to comparison shop and find the very best rates and plans that are available. Companies will strive to be more efficient in a competitive market, and they will offer you their bottom line rates which will make the consumer the winner.

The Public Utilities Commission or PUC in your area will have a complete and accurate list of the licensed providers that have been formed to serve your address or area. This will be extremely helpful for comparison shopping when trying to find the company with the best rates.

Most of the time you will find that there are only a few plan options from which to choose when opting for natural gas pricing rate plans. Among those are fixed rate and variable rate plans. While a variable rate plan simply means that you pay for whatever you consume throughout the month, a fixed rate plan is a bit different. A fixed rate plan is a contract that you and your provider enter into complete with one price point. Your rate will not go up or down throughout the life of this contract. The advantage of this is to know what your bill will be each month for budgetary control.

If you are thinking about switching from your electric company to a new electricity supplier or