Shopping guide · Credit trouble or no deposit
Turned down, or want to avoid a deposit? Your options, and what they cost
Georgia caps what a marketer can ask as a deposit, and there are fallbacks if you are turned down: prepay plans and the Regulated Provider. They keep the gas on, but they cost more. This guide shows how much, and how to get back to a standard plan.
- most a marketer may ask as a deposit for household gas, by PSC rule
- $150
- Regulated Provider Group 2 12-month fixed vs the cheapest standard 12-month, October 2026
- +$195 /yr
- cheapest prepay fixed vs the cheapest standard 12-month fixed, same usage
- +$381 /yr
Open Natural Gas is not paid by any marketer and no marketer can pay for placement.
Quick answer
01 · WhoWho this is for
You have been turned down for gas service, asked for a deposit you cannot pay, or you are rebuilding credit and want to avoid a check. No one publishes a count of Georgia gas customers in this situation, but the PSC files a separate prepay chart, several of its plans are noted "designed for credit challenged customers," and the Regulated Provider has a group for people no marketer will serve.
02 · Your rightsThe deposit is capped, and it comes back
- No more than $150 for household gas (PSC Rule 515-7-9-.04).
- Refunded within 60 days after 6 months of on-time payments, or within 60 days of leaving if your account is paid up (Rule 515-7-3-.04).
- Held in escrow, with interest once it has been held six months, and a marketer cannot raise it after 3 months of on-time payments.
Credit can also move the monthly service charge. On October 2026's chart, 3 of the 10 standard 12-month fixed plans filed a service-charge range rather than one figure, with gaps of $1.00 to $3.00 a month between the low and high end; across all standard plans, charges ran $3.45 to $9.95. Ask which one you will pay.
03 · In orderYour options, cheapest first
- A standard plan, with a deposit if asked. Ask more than one marketer: credit rules differ. A $150 deposit you get back is cheaper than a year on a fallback plan.
- A prepay plan. You pay before you use the gas. Prepay is aimed at credit-challenged customers; ask each marketer whether it runs a credit check or asks for a deposit. The October 2026 prepay chart listed 9 plans: 7 with a filed rate (including 3 labelled senior), and 2 flat-bill plans priced per home, with no published rate. Prepay table.
- The Regulated Provider's Group 2. For customers "who cannot obtain service from a marketer," in the PSC chart's words. The Regulated Provider says Group 2 needs a $150 deposit to schedule a connection (SCANA Energy Regulated Division). Group 2 rates.
04 · The mathWhat each option costs over a year
Every row uses the same formula as our tables, from each plan's filed rate and service charge:
Annual cost = rate × 641 therms + monthly service charge × 12 + $580.53 AGL base charge
A year on each option
A typical home (641 therms a year) at October 2026's filed prices. Differences are against the cheapest standard 12-month fixed.
Show the numbers
| Option | Rate | Service charge | AGL base charge | Exit fee | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest standard 12-month fixedIf a marketer approves you, with or without a deposit | $0.650 | $6.00 | $580.53 | $200 exit fee | $1,069.18 |
| Regulated Provider Group 2, 12-month fixedFor customers turned down by marketers | $0.899 | $8.95 | $580.53 | $100 exit fee | $1,264.19 |
| Regulated Provider Group 2, 6-month fixedPriced for a full year at this rate | $0.919 | $3.50 | $580.53 | No exit fee listed | $1,211.61 |
| Cheapest prepay fixed (12-month)Computed from the filed rate and service charge | $1.170 | $9.95 | $580.53 | $150 exit fee | $1,449.90 |
| Regulated Provider Group 2, variableAt this month's rate for 12 months | $1.311 | $8.95 | $580.53 | No exit fee | $1,528.54 |
| Cheapest prepay variableAt this month's rate for 12 months; computed from the filed rate | $2.090 | $9.95 | $580.53 | No exit fee | $2,039.62 |
05 · One billOne month, side by side
A typical October bill on each option
The PSC's typical customer for the month (18 therms) at each plan's filed rate and service charge, with AGL's $39.71 base charge.
Cheapest standard 12-month fixed$57.41
Regulated Provider Group 2, 12-month fixed$64.84
Regulated Provider Group 2, 6-month fixed$59.75
Cheapest prepay fixed (12-month)$70.72
Regulated Provider Group 2, variable$72.27
Cheapest prepay variable$87.28
Show the numbers
| Bill | AGL base charge | Gas | Service charge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest standard 12-month fixed | $39.71 | $11.70 | $6.00 | $57.41 |
| Regulated Provider Group 2, 12-month fixed | $39.71 | $16.18 | $8.95 | $64.84 |
| Regulated Provider Group 2, 6-month fixed | $39.71 | $16.54 | $3.50 | $59.75 |
| Cheapest prepay fixed (12-month) | $39.71 | $21.06 | $9.95 | $70.72 |
| Regulated Provider Group 2, variable | $39.71 | $23.61 | $8.95 | $72.27 |
| Cheapest prepay variable | $39.71 | $37.62 | $9.95 | $87.28 |
In a light month the options look close, because AGL's base charge is the same on all of them. The differences are the service charge, up to $9.95 a month on these options, and the rate, which matters most in winter.
06 · NextGetting back to a standard plan
- Pay on time for 6 months. That triggers the deposit refund rule and gives you a record to show.
- Check your current plan's exit fee and end date. The cheapest prepay fixed plan in October 2026 listed a $150 exit fee. Group 2's 12-month fixed listed $100.
- Apply to marketers again and compare 12-month fixed plans on annual cost in the fixed table.
- Switch on the monthly cycle. Enroll by the 19th and the new marketer generally takes over on the 1st of the next month (switching guide).
07 · Do itYour checklist
- Ask at least two marketers about approval, the deposit (max $150) and the service charge you would pay.
- If turned down, compare prepay plans on annual cost, not the PSC's typical bill.
- Refused everywhere? Call the Regulated Provider about Group 2, and ask about the $150 deposit.
- Low income? Ask your Community Action Agency about Group 1 and LIHEAP first.
- Set a reminder 6 months out to ask for your deposit back and re-shop.
08 · QuestionsCommon questions
How much can a Georgia gas marketer charge for a deposit?
For household use, no more than $150, under PSC Rule 515-7-9-.04. The deposit must be refunded within 60 days once you have paid on time for 6 months, or within 60 days of leaving if your account is paid up, and a marketer cannot raise it after 3 months of on-time payments.
Can I get natural gas in Georgia with bad credit?
Yes. Ask marketers first: a deposit, a higher service charge or a prepay plan may be the price of approval. If no marketer will serve you, the Regulated Provider's Group 2 serves customers who cannot obtain service from a marketer, at rates the PSC sets.
Is prepaid natural gas cheaper?
Not in October 2026. Priced the same way as every other plan, the cheapest prepay fixed plan came to $1,449.90 a year for a typical home, against $1,069.18 for the cheapest standard 12-month fixed. Prepay's case is easier approval, not price.
What is Regulated Provider Group 2?
The PSC chart describes Group 2 as "high-credit risk customers who cannot obtain service from a marketer." In October 2026 its 12-month fixed plan came to $1,264.19 a year for a typical home, $195.01 more than the cheapest standard 12-month fixed. The Regulated Provider says it requires a $150 deposit for customers who were denied elsewhere.
How do I get off prepay or Group 2 and onto a regular plan?
Pay on time. After 6 months of on-time payments a marketer must refund a deposit, which is also a record you can show a new marketer. Then compare standard 12-month fixed plans, check any exit fee on your current plan, and switch: enroll by the 19th and the new marketer generally takes over on the 1st of the next month.
SourcesWhere these numbers come from
- Georgia PSC, October 2026 prepay pricing chart. Prepay rates and service charges. We do not use its typical-bill column; see our prepay page
- Georgia PSC, October 2026 fixed pricing chart. Standard plans and Regulated Provider Group 2; footnote 7 defines the groups
- Georgia PSC, October 2026 variable pricing chart
- Georgia PSC, customer deposits (Rule 515-7-9-.04)
- Georgia PSC Rule 515-7-3-.04(11), deposit refunds and interest
- SCANA Energy Regulated Division, how to qualify. Group 2 enrollment and deposit
- Open Natural Gas, prepay rates and the PSC typical-bill check
Every PSC figure on this page is recomputed when a new monthly chart is published. Outside figures were checked on 2026-10-09.
Keep goingOther situations
For the bigger picture, start at how to compare natural gas rates in Georgia.
Homeowners and families
“I own or rent a house heated by gas and stay put through winter.”
Usually a 12-month fixed plan, locked before the cold months.
Read the guideSeniors (65+)
“I am 65 or older.”
Apply for AGL's senior discount first, then compare senior fixed plans against standard ones.
Read the guideMovers, renters and first-timers
“I am moving, renting, or setting up gas for the first time.”
Keep the term no longer than your lease; watch the service charge and exit fee more than the rate.
Read the guideTight budget or low income
“Money is tight this winter.”
Check the Regulated Provider's low-income group and LIHEAP before anything else.
Read the guide
The Georgia Public Service Commission does not rank or endorse marketers.