US natural gas futures surged 14% in early January 2022. This is on top of recent increases beginning in the fall of last year. In early October into November 2021 oil and natural gas prices surged.

Natural gas is a commodity purchased from suppliers (including utilities) at published prices. Typically, the price referenced is the NYMEX. All natural gas suppliers are impacted by the same cost increase. However, some suppliers such as utilities can delay the impact due to their regulatory price recovery. This can be understood when utilities do not share storage with their third-party suppliers. Natural gas in storage will not increase when the market price does. Those utilities can appear to have a lower price when in fact they just bought the gas during the summer and stored it. Michigan utilities operate like this; they do not provide their customer choosing a gas supplier with their share of storage volume. Therefore, the energy suppliers in Michigan cannot readily offer storage to their customer. Illinois utilities share their storage volumes equally between choice and tariff customers. Therefore, Illinois customer choice customers have nearly 20% of their winter gas purchased during the summer. Realgy calls this our Storage Program see Storage – Realgy Energy Services.

Natural gas pricing was not expected to rise significantly. However, Covid, weather, and consumer behaviors changed that forecast.

Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.

Realgy owns and operates 7 solar plants in Illinois and is looking to invest in additional locations. Currently we are in construction of our 8th project with the park district of Highland Park.

Additional Information:

How Will the Natural Gas Shortage Impact Fuel Dealers and Homeowners? – OILMAN Magazine

Natural gas surges 14% as cold snap ahead is expected to boost demand (cnbc.com)