If you think prices will go up, lock in.

(my crystal ball is broken....)

Not a good idea seeing as oil, anyhow, is dropping like a stone on the market.

I've heard natural gas was going to be the "bargain" this heating season. There are vast reserves of this non-renewable resource; however, no one can really tell until it's extracted exactly how large the reserves are.

I'd be a little hesitant to lock in myself - but so far we haven't been given that option so it's a non starter.

We lock in for propane, and if it goes down, that is what we pay.

Most such 'deals' have proven a bad choice in our area over the years. Remember who is offering it and their motives for doing so. LOL

Thanks for the input. I think I will not lock in.

Usually those who make such offers make sure that their derriere is covered ... A three-DollAr word for a three-letter one (that starts with "a", ends with "s").

Gas companies pipe in the gas over a longer period and store it in large underground caverns, from which they draw it, along with current throughput of the pipeline, to serve customers during times of heavy usage.

As the supply gets close to scarce, the price that they charge goes up.

How warm a winter are we going to have during the coming months? And we expect (demand?) that there be enough gas to serve our needs throughout. If it's a colder winter than usual, as supplies get drawn down to nearer break-even, prices to non-contracted customers will advance.

Talk to neighbours, friends, colleagues, parent-teachers' group members, church-goers, etc. about their experiences in recent years, as they chose to contract ... or not to do so.

Don't forget: knowledge brings power.

ole joyful

I'd lock in on the price, Natural Gas heating is actully supposed to go up significantly this year, much more than electric energy. If I had an option to lock my charge right now I'd do it in a heart beat!

I suspect that the gas company has already taken a bet on a futures auction price, and now wants you to share the risk with them. Have fun.

You would be crazy to lock in that price right now. It is only trading at $6.76 right now. I realize there are shipping, storage, and other costs added, but it does not add up to that. Here is a link to todays energy prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: Current Energy prices

I did lock in for a couple years when I was doing my mother's accounts for her. It was a good decision then and did save her a small to moderate amount. But those were those years, and not this year. With the volatility in energy and its ups and downs, you can bet the suppliers have covered their behinds. We get ours from a coop, and as such are in a better position for transparency......so I'm not budging with a new supplier.

I'll tell you what happened when my mother passed away and I tried to transfer the account out of her name, they sent a charge to the estate for breaking her contract. Yes, like she had a choice about terminating it early. They kept losing things like the copy of her death certificate too. It took the threat of a lawyer to get them to let her out of her agreement. Beware.