This is the place. Most people have the mistaken belief that competition always means lower prices. This may be true in some industries such as the trucking business, but it is not true in the case of most utilities. A regulated monopoly works better, delivers service more efficiently and costs much less than an open market.
Competition drives prices toward cost.
Starting in October, there will be 11 more natural-gas companies, along with East Ohio Gas, looking for your business. Before you can understand what this means, you have to understand how this system works. Most natural gas is produced in Oklahoma and Texas. At this point, it is usually sold to a pipeline company, which transports the gas to various points in the country and then sells it to local companies, such as East Ohio Gas, which store it and then deliver it to your home through a system of pipes that they own and maintain. Most of these companies will be paper companies that own nothing.