After two straight months of run-ups in natural gas, prices appear to be stabilizing around the mid-40 cent range per therm at wholesale. That makes November another good month to lock in for the winter if you haven't already done so.

The cheapest provider for a fixed-rate plan this month is Fireside Natural Gas, according to the Georgia Public Service Commission. Fireside has a filed rate of .83 cents per therm, with an effective annual price after junk fees of $1.24 per therm. They're also waiving the usual customer service fee of $5.95 for the first six months.

If you lock in now, the typical Fireside customer can expect to pay $888.99 over the course of 12 months. That's based, in part, on an annual consumption rate of 717 therms.

However, if you're a true rate-chaser, you might want to think about a market introductory rate of .499 cents per therm from Georgia Natural Gas for a variable plan. This is for new customers only who enroll online.

GNG is waiving the customer service charge and offering this rate for two months only with no contract. After that, you get hit with a monthly customer service charge and the variable rate in effect at that time.

So that means you may want to re-shop your marketer in two months. But hey, you'll save a lot during the peak winter heating season in the meantime!

Remember, this month's advice applies to November only and will change when the rates reset in the first week of December.

Clark