Gas price comparison data can not be tabulated between distributors (utilities selling to consumer retail) because of the way Nat gas is bought and sold and a very complicated process.

Nearly all utility companies continuously buy Nat gas through contracts at a fixed price for the present month or even up to 12 months into the future. Every minute of the day the prices change as they secure contracts so there never is one set price to determine a fixed price for a month. so it's nearly impossible to track what a utility company actually pays to copulate a comparison for all utilities.

My monthly Nat gas bill has the price they pay for the gas and doesn't come remotely close to the spot price for the months ago and includes distribution and storage costs by the supplier. Then they add their charges, fees and taxes to get a final price including a fee to recoup the Feb 2021 weather event when they had to buy on the open market at spot price when prices skyrocketed. I'm still paying .09831 cents per therm (1 CCF) for that price spike.

raee, each of two homes I own are in regions served by a different investor-owned utility. On the bills from each. the monthly charges are itemized (including for taxes and fees). Product procurement cost (both gas and electricity) built into the charges are disclosed.

I know some states allow customers to choose their energy source in an open market with varying prices, we don't have that. I pay no attention to the procurement cost, the charge is whatever it happens to be, it's not within my control. It doesn't matter.

Is it different for you?

Yes, Elmer we have the choice of suppliers (can do so for electricity also). Some suppliers offer contracts with locked in prices (such as I mentioned above), other will offer a lower price but the rate will vary with the market and may not stay low. Some are simply month-to-month with no contract.

Kevin, Columbia Gas clearly explains about pricing on the bill; they buy their gas (aka "standard choice" in this program) at auction which I believe occurs quarterly - so their supplier can change quarterly. And yes, there are fees, taxes, etc etc tacked on, but those apply across the board (and are the major part of the bill). What we are comparing on the state's "apples to apples" chart, which are the prices I mentioned above, is the base price for the gas sans all the other charges. The chart also includes information about contract length, whether variable or fixed, any early termination fee, and so forth.

Choosing a supplier offering a price $.50-$1.00 less than another does result in cost savings although not as much as one might think, in light of the overall surcharges/taxes/fees.

One exception I didn't mention.

The California form of energy "deregulation" involved requiring investor-owned utilities to sell its power plants (most produced the majority of the power provided) and turn to the open market for procurement. They're reimbursed for procurement costs but compensation in a profit making sense for distribution only and maintenance of those systems.

A new law passed some years back, less than 10, formed a new type of intermediary agency, the Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), formed by the local governments. A political agency more than anything else, not necessarily one for the benefit of customers. CCA units can be formed without voter approval in any area where investor-owned utilities operate. Though advertised as a way to procure electricity to provide electricity at more like lower "municipal system" rates than "for-profit" rates, that's turned out not to be the case. CCAs now cover most of the investor owned utility territories. Rather than pass along savings in lower rates, their rates are almost the same and the profits are used to either buy more expensive, renewable power or as slush funds to spend on public works. All customers are automatically switched to the CCAs and to return, you need to spend the time to opt out.

So, investor owned utility customers like me (in two locations), DO have a choice - either from the utility, or from the CCA. Rates are nearly identical so it's really no choice. I've opted out in both locations because I don't like the power grab and money grab.