We are excited to be a sponsor of the Atlanta Corporate Fight Night VI where one of our analysts, Josh “TNT” Tittle will be boxing. The event takes place Thursday, January 24th at The Foundry at Puritan Mill where Josh will face Austin Joseph in the heavyweight division. Josh is looking forward to competing in his second Atlanta Corporate Fight Night, representing Gas South and our commitment to the communities we serve.

The Atlanta Corporate Fight Night is an event where each boxer chooses a favorite charitable organization that they fight for, both in the ring and in the community.  Boxers market their cause within the community and get sponsors and donations for their fight.  The winner’s charity receives the funds that both boxers raised for their match.  Last spring, Josh won his fight and $750 was donated to his charity, Urban League of Greater Atlanta.

This year, Josh’s charity is Positive Growth, Inc. in Clarkston, GA. Their mission is to strengthen the lives of children, youth, adults and families during difficult life transitions.  One of their programs is a home for boys between ages 6 and 21 that are in the foster system.  Currently there are about 20 boys in the home.  Having been involved with this charity for over a year, Josh plans to continue being a mentor and assist some of the boys as they train for a 5k combination run and obstacle course in the spring.

Although Josh was on the Georgia Tech football team and a club wrestling team, he had never participated in boxing prior to last year, but you’d never know by his performance.  In anticipation of this year’s fight, he has been training about 4 days a week.

If you’d like to see Josh in this black tie, black eye affair, you can purchase tickets or make a donation here. General admission tickets are $25 (may or may not get a seat) and preferred seating tickets are $50. For more information about tickets or the event, leave a comment here or email Josh at josh.tittle@gas-south.com.

As the winter season begins, our customers often come to us looking for the best way to keep their natural gas costs down.  We are prepared every year to provide our customers with tips to do just that.  Here are a handful of ways you can potentially cut your natural gas usage during the winter months.

1.) Invest in a programmable thermostat. The majority of programmable thermostats allow you to set multiple time frames and temperatures to fit your lifestyle.  There are even a few that can adapt to those frequent “nudges” that you give the thermostat to take the chill off and automatically change their programming to fit.  Avoid changing the temperatures once you have it programmed to avoid unnecessary increases in your natural gas usage.

2.) Avoid large swings in temperature. Avoid raising or lowering the temperature settings more than 5-8 degrees in a daily period to save on natural gas usage.  The only exception should be when you are not at home for an extended period of time when you can set it at a lower temperature than normal.  Large swings in temperature can cause your unit to work harder to heat your home.  Remember, you are not only heating the air but everything in your home as well.

3.) Change the filter in your furnace or air handler regularly. Most HVAC companies recommend inspecting, cleaning, or replacing the filter every month during the summer and winter seasons.  A dirty air filter causes your system to work harder to push the air throughout your home, causing increased energy usage.

4.) Keep windows and doors shut. Another easy way to save on heating costs is to make sure that all windows and doors remain closed.  Close blinds or drapes to further decrease the amount of heat loss through your windows.

5.) Wear warm clothes. This is one of the easiest and cost effective ways to lower your energy bills during the winter.   Most energy efficiency websites recommend a maximum heating temperature setting of less than 70 degrees.  For those of you who feel cold at temperatures below 70 degrees, a light jacket, sweat shirt, or long sleeve shirt can help keep you warm without having to raise your thermostat temperature and therefore your natural gas usage.

Though heating bills are ultimately dependent on how cold the winter is, these tips should allow you to save on your natural gas usage. What are some ways you try to save during the colder months?

As we move further into the Holiday Season, we just wanted to take a moment to wish you and yours a safe and enjoyable Holiday. Thank you for choosing Gas South as your natural gas provider, we look forward to serving you in 2013.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the American Trucking Association Summit on Natural Gas in Trucking in Washington D.C. Topics ranged from Natural Gas 101 to The Politics of Natural Gas. This particular conference was focused on the trucking industry and it was a packed house, full of regional and national truckers, natural gas companies such as ConocoPhillips and other companies that service the industry.

We heard from gas station owners and developers such as Frank Love of Love’s Travel Stops and James A. Haslam III, the Chairman of Pilot Flying J. They spoke about the benefits and challenges of natural gas from an infrastructure standpoint.  Gas station owners are actively looking at natural gas in LNG(Liquefied Natural Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) forms as a viable fuel ,but believe that demand and economics will drive the change.

The clear star of the show was Mr. T. Boone Pickens. Mr. Pickens, or as he asked me to call him later, T. Boone, spoke at the conference and gave a brilliant and candid perspective on the natural gas revolution. T. Boone has championed the effort behind the natural gas boom with the Pickens Plan and has invested millions of dollars in Clean Energy. Clean Energy is the leading provider of CNG and LNG in the United States.

It took diesel fuel 30 years to be adopted by this industry after WWII. So as the CNG Revolution continues, how long do you think it will take this industry to adopt natural gas?

Have you heard the news? Gas South is partnering with the Salvation Army to bring Project SHARE to our customers. Last week, we collected donations of new and used blankets to bring to the Salvation Army’s shelter in Atlanta. Our President and CEO, Kevin Greiner, joined several of our employees at the shelter, as we worked with the residents to make the beds. It was a great way to kick off the program and give back to those who need it most.

Gas South employees, Salvation Army employees and shelter residents gather together to start making beds with the donated blankets.

Project SHARE is an initiative through the Salvation Army that collects money to assist those who are less fortunate with acquiring food, shelter, clothing, medical supplies and paying utility bills. Donations through the program help citizens in all 159 counties of Georgia and the money collected stays in the county from which it originates. You can sign up with Project SHARE by pledging to contribute any whole dollar amount you choose each month. The amount will be automatically added to your Gas South bill. Gas South will also be matching your donation up to $5 per month in 2013.

We are looking forward to participating in Project SHARE and we hope you are too. Find out more information and sign up for the program here.

Our President & CEO, Kevin Greiner teams up with Major Todd Hawks, the Metro Atlanta Area Commander for the Salvation Army to make beds in the bunk room at the shelter.

Georgia Gives Day, a project started by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, is scheduled for December 6th. This is the first year of the program that pulls together Georgia’s nonprofits in an effort to raise as much money for them as possible. The Georgia Center for Nonprofits will not receive any of the contributions. Instead, you donate to the organization of your choice through the website. Hundreds of nonprofits throughout the state have registered to participate through the website and all you need to do is search by area or category to find the organization you like. After placing your donation electronically, you’ll receive an email with the tax deductible information.

- Nonprofits ranging from the United Way, the Salvation Army, Action Ministries, The Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, to the Woodruff Arts Center are registered with their own landing pages on the site. Search to find the organization that means the most to you.

- Many of the organizations registered have a special side bar that tells you where your money will be going. For example, St Vincent de Paul provides the following information: a donation of $26 will feed a family of 4 for a day. A donation of $50 will feed a family of 4 for 4 days. Finally, a donation of $100 will provide direct assistance to clients through services and programs. This is a helpful way to determine exactly what your donation will be used for.

As part of our Gas South Cares initiative, we are a contributing sponsor for the program and are proud to be a part of such a great project. So, if you are planning to give this Holiday Season, consider giving through Georgia Gives Day to the organization of your choice on or before December 6th. Let’s help Georgia raise millions for our nonprofits that keep our state growing!

Have you heard about our Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) program yet? We created PAYG in 2008 to help credit challenged customers get natural gas service. This program allows customers to obtain service without a deposit or a pre-payment. PAYG is an alternative to the regulated provider program and can actually help people strengthen their credit scores.

How does it work?      

Each month, our PAYG customers are billed only for the gas they are forecasted to use over the next 30 days. This estimate is based on historical usage and the current gas prices. We also calculate the difference between the usage from the prior month and the charges you received. This calculation is reflected in the next bill to ensure that you only pay for the gas that you use. After 12 months of good payment history, you can move to a lower rate plan and we will report your good history to a consumer credit reporting agency to help improve your credit score.

The PAYG program offers low fixed and variable rates without any upfront costs. We also partner with several non-profit organizations through the program to help those in need. CredAbility, The Salvation Army, United Way, St. Vincent de Paul, Atlanta Community Food Bank and Action Ministries are all PAYG partners of Gas South.

How can I sign up?

If you think PAYG would work for you, please check out our website for more information. You can also call us at 1-877-347-7243. Temperatures are dropping outside, so let us know if you want to Pay-As-You-Go!

Manon, Dmitriy, Melanie and Rony gathered around the table for some great food!

Gas South employees celebrated an early Thanksgiving as a family with a festive potluck lunch. The celebration was filled with lots of food, lots of fun and lots of thanks!

We also took some time to reflect on what we are thankful for as a company and we want you to know, we are thankful for you. To all of our loyal customers, thank you for your business. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

So, what are you thankful for this year?

Stephanie, Kevin and Kamden gathered round for the feast.

Lots of food, lots of fun and lots of thanks!

**Update: This offer has been extended through APRIL 30th, 2013. So, sign up for paperless billing soon!**

Now through April 30th, Gas South customers can receive a $10 bill credit when they sign up for paperless billing for the first time.  It’s a great way to end the clutter and hassle of paper billing and receive a simple email notification of your bill statement.

Paperless Billing at Gas South

The first option is to receive email notification to view your bill online. Signing up is easy with Gas South’s Online Account Services- all you need is a valid email address, social security number on the account and your Gas South account number to sign up. The email notification will include your Gas South account number, amount due and the due date for your upcoming bill.  This makes it easy for you to pay your bill using whatever method you prefer.

Paperless Billing at Your Bank

The second paperless billing option is to receive your bill through your bank.  There is a difference between simply paying your bill through the bank bill pay and receiving your bill through the bank.  Most banks offer the option to receive bills as an additional service in their online bill pay.  Check with your bank to sign up for this option.  With this service, you should receive an email from your bank each month when your Gas South bill is available.

Regardless of how you receive your bill, you can always view it through your online account and pay it using whatever method you’d prefer.

If you have never done paperless billing with Gas South, then I’d encourage you to sign up for one of these options soon and get your $10 bill credit!   For more details, visit gas-south.com.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we want to spotlight one of our employees, Stephon White.

Stephon R. White is a husband, father, U.S. Army Veteran and a part of the Gas South Family.  Stephon was born on June 14, 1981 in Tifton, GA to Leo and Debra White.  He proved to be an excellent student throughout his educational endeavors and enjoyed growing up in Georgia.  After his high school graduation, Stephon enlisted in the United States Army.  He served active duty while stationed in Fort Polk, Louisiana for many years.

Shortly after the tragic terrorist attack on 9/11 and the declaration of a “War on Terror” by President Bush, U.S. troops were sent overseas to fight in the Iraq War.  Stephon White was one of the many brave soldiers sent to fight for our country in 2003.  With a lot of prayer, bravery, and faith, he was able to survive the hard times and return home after serving overseas for almost a year and a half.

Stephon has been married to a lovely woman named Starr for 7 years and they have 3 beautiful daughters; Chyanne, Cierra and Camille. Stephon has been working for Gas South since August of 2011 as our accountant and has said that his favorite part of working here is the people. “Gas South has a great office environment and friendly employees, I have enjoyed getting to know my coworkers and look forward to a great career with this company!”

We are proud to have Stephon as a member of the Gas South family and we thank and honor him and his fellow troops on this Veteran’s Day for their invaluable service to our country.

We would also like to show appreciation for two more veterans at Gas South; Kimberly Middleton and Sandra Hamilton.