In January, Nicor Gas customers will spend more than 90 cents a therm, which is a unit of energy used in measuring natural gas usage. This year's Customer Select mailing included a list of participating companies and how to reach them for information, either by phone or on the Internet. But the company comparison experience is inconsistent. For example, the toll-free number to reach Corn Belt was not working Friday, so customers could only get information about the company through the Internet. We received 1,700 calls the first week of the enrollment.
Human dialogue is no guarantee of help, however.
Rockford customer Ana Martinez has tried to learn more about Customer Select. She wants suppliers to make the program easier to understand. I'm hoping they will present it on a simpler level. None of the suppliers is offering natural gas for a fixed rate because prices are too high. Even if people could lock in a price, experts warn against it.