Atlanta Gas and Light: How Natural Gas Service Works in Atlanta, GA

If you live in Atlanta or are moving here, you’ll quickly hear people mention “Atlanta Gas and Light”—often mixed up with Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), Atlanta Gas & Light, or simply “the gas company.” Understanding who actually does what for your natural gas service in Atlanta can save you time, confusion, and sometimes money.

This guide breaks down how gas service works in metro Atlanta, how to start or stop service, who to call in an emergency, and what “Atlanta Gas and Light” usually refers to.

Atlanta Gas Light vs. Gas Marketers: Who Does What?

In Atlanta, the natural gas system is deregulated. That means one company owns and operates the gas pipes, but other companies actually sell you the gas.

The key players

• Atlanta Gas Light (AGL)

  • Owns and maintains the underground pipelines, meters, and much of the physical infrastructure.
  • Handles turning gas on or off at the meter, and emergency gas issues.
  • Does not usually send you a monthly gas bill as a retail company.

• Natural Gas Marketers (retail providers)

  • Private companies that sell gas plans to homes and businesses.
  • Send you your monthly bill.
  • Offer fixed-rate and variable-rate plans, fees, and promotions.

When people say “Atlanta Gas and Light”, they’re usually talking about either:

• Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) itself (the utility that owns the pipes), or
• Gas service in Atlanta more generally.

For practical purposes, you’ll interact with both:

• A marketer for your plan and billing.
• AGL behind the scenes for meter and pipeline services.

How Natural Gas Service Works in Atlanta

Step 1: You pick a marketer

In the city of Atlanta and much of metro Atlanta, you must select a natural gas marketer to get service. You cannot buy gas directly from AGL.

Marketers commonly serve areas like:

• City of Atlanta (Fulton and DeKalb portions)
• Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, East Point, College Park, and other nearby cities in the Atlanta region

You choose a marketer, and they coordinate with Atlanta Gas Light to start or transfer your gas service.

Step 2: Atlanta Gas Light handles the infrastructure

AGL is responsible for:

• Connecting/disconnecting service at your meter
• Maintaining gas lines in streets and up to your meter
• Responding to leaks and emergencies
• Installing and reading gas meters (even if the reading appears on your marketer’s bill)

Even though you pay your marketer, a portion of your bill usually includes Atlanta Gas Light charges (often labeled as “base charges,” “pass-through charges,” or “AGL charges”). Those cover the cost of maintaining the physical system.

Starting Natural Gas Service in Atlanta

If you’re moving into an apartment, condo, or house in Atlanta that uses gas (for heat, hot water, or cooking), here’s how to get service going.

1. Confirm your address is in AGL territory

Most of metro Atlanta is served by Atlanta Gas Light, but some outlying areas may use other utilities or city-run gas systems. Within the City of Atlanta, AGL is typically the infrastructure provider.

Landlords, property managers, or real estate agents are often familiar with how gas is set up at your specific address.

2. Choose a natural gas marketer

Before anything can be turned on:

• Research natural gas marketers that serve Atlanta.
• Compare:
  • Rate type: fixed vs. variable
  • Contract term and early termination fees
  • Monthly customer fees
  • Any minimum usage or seasonal conditions

Once you choose a marketer, you’ll typically provide:

• Your Atlanta service address
• Start date
• Identification (e.g., SSN or other ID)
• Possibly a deposit, depending on credit history

Your marketer then submits a service order to Atlanta Gas Light to turn on the gas at your location.

3. AGL may need access to your property

For many Atlanta homes and apartments:

• If your meter is outside and accessible, AGL may be able to start service without you being home.
• In some cases (especially after a long shutoff, renovation, or new construction), AGL or your property manager may need to:
  • Perform safety checks
  • Ensure appliances are properly connected
  • Relight pilots if needed

If an appointment is required, your marketer or property manager will give you a window of time when AGL will come out.

Stopping or Transferring Gas Service in Atlanta

If you’re moving within Atlanta or leaving the area:

To stop service

• Contact your current gas marketer (not AGL directly, in most cases).
• Request a disconnection date.
• Provide a forwarding address for your final bill.

Your marketer will send a disconnect order to Atlanta Gas Light, and AGL will handle turning the gas off at the meter.

To transfer service within Atlanta

• If your new address is also served by AGL and your marketer operates there, you may be able to transfer your account.
• Your marketer can often:
  • Stop service at your current Atlanta address, and
  • Start service at your new Atlanta address,
    usually requiring a few business days’ notice.

Natural Gas Emergencies in Atlanta

If you ever suspect a gas leak in Atlanta, it’s critical to act quickly.

Signs of a gas leak

• “Rotten egg” or sulfur-like smell
• Hissing sound near gas lines or meters
• Dead or dying vegetation over buried gas lines
• Bubbles in standing water near gas lines

What to do 🚨

1. Leave the area immediately.

   • Do not use matches, lighters, or cigarettes.
   • Avoid turning lights, appliances, or electronics on or off.

2. From a safe location away from the building, call:

   • 911 for immediate emergency response, and
   • The Atlanta Gas Light emergency line (the number is typically listed on gas bills in the area and on AGL’s official materials).

AGL is the entity that physically responds to gas leaks in its territory around Atlanta, even if your marketer is a different company. For any life-threatening situation, always contact 911 first.

Typical Charges on an Atlanta Gas Bill

Even though Atlanta Gas Light usually doesn’t bill you directly, its charges often appear on your marketer’s bill. A simplified view:

Understanding that AGL charges are standard infrastructure costs helps explain why they show up regardless of which marketer you choose.

New Construction, Renovations, and Gas Line Work in Atlanta

If you’re building or renovating in Atlanta and need new gas service:

New service or meter installation

• Builders or property owners typically work with:
  • Atlanta Gas Light for new gas line and meter installation, and
  • Then choose a marketer once the physical service is set up.

Steps often include:

• Requesting a new service line or meter through AGL’s developer/contractor channels.
• Ensuring compliance with City of Atlanta building codes and inspections.
• After the infrastructure is in place, selecting a marketer for ongoing service.

Moving or altering existing gas lines

For interior gas work in Atlanta homes or businesses:

• Licensed plumbers or gas contractors usually handle:
  • Running new gas lines to appliances
  • Checking pressure and safety
• Atlanta Gas Light remains responsible for:
  • Gas lines in the street and up to the meter
  • The meter itself and main shutoff at the meter

Always use properly qualified professionals; gas work is regulated for safety reasons in the City of Atlanta and surrounding areas.

Rental Properties and Apartments in Atlanta

If you’re renting in Atlanta, your experience with gas service can vary:

Common setups

• Individually metered apartments

  • You choose your own marketer.
  • You receive your own bill.

• Master-metered buildings

  • The landlord or management company pays for gas.
  • Gas may be included in your rent or billed back by the property.
  • You may not need to choose a marketer at all.

Your lease or welcome packet should clarify:

• Whether you must set up a gas account in your name.
• Which utilities are included in your rent.
• Any specific instructions for setting up service at your building.

Local Support and Whom to Contact in Atlanta

Here’s a quick guide to who to contact for different natural gas issues in Atlanta:

• To start/stop/transfer gas service
  ➜ Contact your natural gas marketer (the company that bills you).

• To report a gas leak or gas emergency
  ➜ Leave the area, call 911, then call the Atlanta Gas Light emergency line shown on your marketer’s bill or AGL materials.

• To ask about meters, pipeline work, or right-of-way near your Atlanta property
  ➜ Contact Atlanta Gas Light customer or construction services, as listed on their official communication channels.

• To resolve billing disputes or rate questions
  ➜ Contact your marketer first.
  ➜ For unresolved issues, Atlanta-area residents can also reach out to the Georgia Public Service Commission in Atlanta, which regulates natural gas marketers.

Key Takeaways for Atlanta Residents and Visitors

• “Atlanta Gas and Light” usually means Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), the utility that runs the pipe and meter system in metro Atlanta.
• In most of Atlanta, you must choose a natural gas marketer; that marketer bills you, but AGL owns the infrastructure.
• AGL handles emergencies and physical gas service, including leaks, new meters, and shutoffs at the meter.
• When moving in or out of Atlanta housing with gas service, you’ll mainly work with:
  • Your marketer for account changes, and
  • AGL indirectly through that marketer for the on/off work at the meter.
• For suspected gas leaks, always leave the area, call 911, and then contact the AGL emergency line shown on local gas materials.

Understanding these roles makes it much easier to navigate gas service in Atlanta and know exactly who to call—whether you’re setting up a new place in Midtown, relocating in Buckhead, or managing a renovation anywhere in the city.