District of Columbia
Washington Gas, the sole natural gas utility company in the District of Columbia, provides two main services: distribution service and natural gas supply service. Energy Choice means that you can choose the provider of your natural gas supply service. Washington Gas is the only company that owns the pipelines in the District of Columbia to deliver natural gas to homes and businesses.
Energy Choice programs were established for interruptible customers in 1988, large commercial customers in 1998 and small commercial customers in 2002.
For more information on natural gas Energy Choice, visit the District of Columbia Public Service Commission at www.dcpsc.org
Maryland
Energy Choice allows customers to choose their natural gas supplier. This process is also called deregulation or natural gas restructuring. The investor-owned gas company will deliver the natural gas to the customer. Because competition only affects the purchase of natural gas and not the delivery, all distribution pipelines will continue to be maintained by the local investor-owned gas company.
For more information on natural gas Energy Choice, visit the Maryland Public Service Commission at www.psc.state.md.us.
Virginia
Effective January 1, 2002, all customers in Virginia can exercise Energy Choice to purchase their natural gas supply from either competitive retail energy suppliers or from the local gas distribution company. When the customer selects a competitive supplier of natural gas, the local gas distribution company continues to deliver the natural gas through their system of pipes and is responsible for maintenance and responding to emergencies.
For more information on natural gas Energy Choice, visit the Virginia State Corporation Commission at www.scc.virginia.gov/power/compsup.aspx.