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Natural Gas Providers
Know what you should be paying before you shop. These are the latest California averages published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, covering every gas customer in the state. Use them as your benchmark, then enter your ZIP to see what suppliers in our marketplace are actually offering at your address.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Prices, California. Data through March 2026, released July 31, 2026. Mcf to therm conversion uses 10.36 therms per Mcf. These are statewide averages, not supplier offers. View the EIA table.
Here is something most Californians never hear from their utility: you are allowed to shop for your natural gas. The state opened the gas market to competition back in the early 1990s, and every home and small business on PG&E, SoCalGas or SDG&E has been free to choose a supplier ever since. Our natural gas marketplace is designed to help you find the best price among the companies competing for that business.
California does it a little differently than Texas, and the difference works in your favor. Your utility never goes anywhere. It keeps the pipes, the meter, the emergency line and the bill. What you get to shop is the gas itself, through an independent supplier called a Core Transport Agent. You take on the upside of competition without giving up the utility safety net.
Nearly everyone qualifies. California sorts customers into core and noncore, and core covers every single residential account plus any business burning under 250,000 therms a year. That is the vast majority of homes and small commercial accounts in the state, and it is who this page is written for.
All three major California gas utilities run a customer choice program. Same idea, three different names. Find yours below, then enter your ZIP to see live offers for your territory.
| Utility | Program name | Who can shop | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PG&E | Core Gas Aggregation Service (CGAS) | Every residential account plus core commercial across Northern and Central California | Twelve month minimum commitment, so pick your term with that in mind |
| SoCalGas | Core Aggregation Transportation (CAT) | All residential, core commercial under 250,000 therms/year, and NGV customers | The largest pool of shoppers in the state, which means the most suppliers competing |
| SDG&E | Core Aggregation Transportation (CAT) | All residential, core commercial, and large accounts electing core service | Thirty day cancellation window after your first supplier bill, so trying it is low risk |
Shop the part you can actually control. California gas bills have two halves: the gas, and getting it to you. Delivery is set by the CPUC and is identical whoever supplies you, so the smart play is to compete the gas itself, and to lock the price when the market is favorable. In March 2026 the citygate price for gas was $3.52 per Mcf while the average residential customer paid $20.72 delivered, so that commodity slice is where every dollar of savings lives. It is also the slice our marketplace puts out to bid for you.
Timing matters more than most people realize. California gas spiked hard in January 2023 and again in December 2025, and customers on a locked price rode straight through both. That protection is the strongest reason to shop, and prices have eased through early 2026, which makes right now a window worth using.
Switching is easier than most people expect, and our natural gas marketplace is built to walk you through it. You are hiring a supplier to buy your gas at a better price. Your utility, your meter, your service line and your emergency number all stay exactly the same, and nobody sets foot on your property.
Your address tells you whether PG&E, SoCalGas or SDG&E delivers your gas. Good news for almost everyone: every residential account in California is a core customer and can shop from day one, and so can any business burning under 250,000 therms a year. Enter your ZIP above and we will match you to the right marketplace instantly.
Pull your annual therm usage and the procurement charge your utility currently bills you for the gas itself. Those two numbers are all you need. The procurement charge is your benchmark, and beating it is exactly what our suppliers compete to do.
Our marketplace lines up Core Transport Agent offers on the same basis so you can see who is cheapest at a glance, priced per therm against your utility's current procurement charge. No phone calls, no sales pressure, no guessing which quote is really lower.
Choose how long you want your price held. A fixed term protects you from the winter spikes California saw in 2023 and again in December 2025, and that certainty is the single biggest win available in this market. Check the renewal rate and any early exit cost before you sign, and remember that PG&E's Core Gas Aggregation Service carries a twelve month minimum.
Your chosen supplier files the switch with your utility for you once you approve it in writing or by recorded call. There is no application to chase and no service interruption. The change takes effect on your next meter read, so most customers are switched inside one billing cycle.
Your bill will show a procurement credit backing out the utility's gas cost, with your supplier's lower charge in its place. That credit is your proof the switch worked. If you ever see a supplier charge without the matching credit, call your utility before you pay.
Three utilities deliver gas to almost every California home and business, and all three let you shop. Your utility is set by your address and never changes when you pick a supplier, so this is simply a question of which marketplace you are shopping. Open yours below for its rate schedules, current procurement charge and every supplier competing in that territory.
Covers Northern and Central California from Bakersfield to the Oregon line, including San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Fresno. If PG&E delivers your gas, you can start comparing supplier prices today.
Compare PG&E gas suppliersThe largest gas distribution utility in the country by meter count, covering most of Central and Southern California including Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire and the Central Coast. The biggest customer base in the state means the deepest field of suppliers bidding for your business.
Compare SoCalGas suppliersCovers San Diego County and southern Orange County, and comes with the friendliest trial terms in the state: residential customers get thirty days after their first supplier bill to change their mind. Gas choice applies to the gas side of your account only.
Compare SDG&E gas suppliersNot seeing your utility? A few California communities are served by municipal gas utilities such as Long Beach Energy Resources and the City of Palo Alto Utilities, or by propane where there are no gas mains. Those customers buy from the municipal utility directly and do not have a choice program yet. Enter your ZIP and we will tell you in one step which category you are in.
California gas prices swing hard, and that volatility is the single best argument for locking a price. Winter demand, storage levels and pipeline constraints can move the delivered rate by several dollars per Mcf in one month, which is why a January bill and a June bill can look like they came from two different states. Use the EIA history below to see the pattern for yourself, then decide whether you want to keep riding it or take it off the table.
| Month | Residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| March 2025 | $22.29 | $17.42 |
| April 2025 | $21.43 | $16.07 |
| May 2025 | $20.98 | $14.93 |
| June 2025 | $21.48 | $15.37 |
| July 2025 | $22.17 | $16.17 |
| August 2025 | $22.09 | $16.24 |
| September 2025 | $21.89 | $15.91 |
| October 2025 | $21.81 | $15.43 |
| November 2025 | $22.19 | $17.10 |
| December 2025 | $23.78 | $18.61 |
| January 2026 | $22.96 | $18.41 |
| February 2026 | $22.45 | $17.80 |
| March 2026 | $20.72 | $16.29 |
| Year | Residential | Commercial | Residential trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $16.31 | $11.88 | |
| 2022 | $20.24 | $16.09 | |
| 2023 | $20.76 | $16.31 | |
| 2024 | $19.01 | $13.78 | |
| 2025 | $21.96 | $16.42 |
What this means for you. Residential gas averaged $21.96 per Mcf across 2025, up 15.5 percent from $19.01 in 2024, with commercial up 19.2 percent over the same stretch. Early 2026 has come in softer, with March running 7.0 percent under March 2025. Softer markets are when the best fixed offers appear, and the winter peaks in 2023 and December 2025 are what a locked price protects you from. Enter your ZIP to see what suppliers will hold your price at today.
If you're moving to a new home in California, one of the first things to do is set up your gas service. Most areas are served by a major utility, but some also offer choices through Core Gas Aggregation Service (CGAS) or other energy providers.
To get started, and enter your ZIP code to see what options are available in your area. PG&E (your gas utility) still handles delivery and maintenance, but you may be able to choose your gas supplier. Options can include fixed rate ("all you can eat") pricing and green energy options.
When signing up, you'll need your move-in address, preferred start date, and some form of ID. If power is already active at the location, the switch may happen without interruption. If not, a technician may need to come out and turn it on. To avoid delays, it's best to start the process a few days before your move-in date.
Fill in a few basic details-such as your service location, usage range, and business information-to help identify available commercial energy plans in your area.
After you submit the form, we'll review your information and prepare a personalized set of options you can compare at your own pace.
Learn more about the process and next steps in our How It Works page.
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Yes, and most Californians have no idea. Every residential gas customer served by PG&E, SoCalGas or SDG&E can buy the gas itself from an independent Core Transport Agent instead of taking whatever the utility charges. Your utility keeps the pipes and stays your delivery company, which is why the switch is so low risk. Our marketplace is designed to help you find the best price among the suppliers competing for your business.
It depends on where your utility's procurement charge sits when you shop, which is exactly why comparing matters. Be smart about the math: delivery charges are set by the CPUC and nobody discounts those, so the real prize is the gas commodity itself plus the certainty of a locked price. In March 2026 California residential customers averaged $20.72 per thousand cubic feet delivered against a $3.52 citygate price for the gas, so the commodity is the piece worth shopping and the piece we help you shop. Enter your ZIP to see what suppliers are offering in your area right now.
A Core Transport Agent, or CTA, is a licensed gas marketer that buys natural gas and schedules it onto your utility's pipeline system for you. SDG&E also calls them Gas Service Providers. Think of the CTA as your buyer: it competes for your business on price, and your utility stays on the hook for delivery and remains your backup supplier if anything goes wrong. That safety net is what makes shopping worth doing.
All three of the big ones. PG&E runs Core Gas Aggregation Service across Northern and Central California. SoCalGas and SDG&E each run a Core Aggregation Transportation program covering Southern California and San Diego County. If one of those three delivers your gas, you can shop today. Municipal gas utility and propane customers are the only ones left out.
No. Nothing physical changes at all. The same gas moves through the same pipe to the same meter, and your utility still answers leaks, outages and emergencies at the same number. Switching is purely a change in who bills you for the gas commodity, which is why you can do it in minutes with zero disruption.
You do. The California Alternate Rates for Energy discount is mandated by the state and follows you no matter who supplies your gas, and the same goes for FERA, LIHEAP, energy efficiency rebates and Medical Baseline. You keep every benefit you have today and add the ability to shop for a better gas price on top.
Look for the procurement credit on your utility bill. Your bill gets calculated as though you were still on bundled service, then the utility's own gas cost is subtracted through that credit and your supplier's charge takes its place. Seeing that credit is how you confirm the switch landed. If a supplier charge ever shows up without it, call your utility before you pay.
Absolutely, if you burn under 250,000 therms a year, which covers the overwhelming majority of restaurants, laundries, hotels, schools and light manufacturers in the state. Businesses often have more to gain than households simply because the volume is larger. Larger accounts above that threshold are noncore and buy on the open market already, and we can help there too.
You are never stuck. Contact your supplier, request termination and check your contract for any early exit cost. The supplier files the disconnect with your utility and you return to bundled service on a meter read cycle, usually the next billing period if the request goes in at least fifteen days before your read date. PG&E customers should plan around the twelve month minimum on Core Gas Aggregation Service. SDG&E residential customers get thirty days after their first supplier bill to cancel outright.
Enter your ZIP code to explore the best energy plans in your area. Compare energy rates side by side, and choose the one that fits your home and budget.
