There are many decisions that go into buying a home or moving into a new rental property or apartment. Price, square footage and location are all considerations that arise early in the home buying process; however, there are some other factors to think about further down the line. One of the big questions to ask before purchasing a home or moving into a new property should be: Does this home have natural gas?

Natural gas is energy efficient and clean burning. This means running appliances is cost-effective and better for the environment. At SCANA Energy, we like to share our favorite tips and tricks to help future residents find out if their potential home uses natural gas and how to start using it.

How to Tell if a Home Already Uses Natural Gas

Natural gas is found underground and carried into a home through a pipeline. Because of this, it is hard to tell if a home uses natural gas just by looking at it. It is also common for a home to use natural gas to fuel certain appliances but not others. Here are the top four ways to figure out if a home and its appliances are using natural gas:

1. The Stove – Stoves are the most common appliances fueled by natural gas in a home. It also happens to be the easiest appliance to analyze. When the burners are turned on, a blue flame suggests natural gas. It also means this home is set up to use natural gas. If the burner turns on and there is not a blue flame, it most likely uses electric power.
2. The Water Heater – We recommend using the blue flame test again for the water heater. Locate the appliance in the home, remove the access panel and look inside for a blue flame, or pilot light. The presence of a blue flame indicates the water heater uses natural gas and the home is set up for natural gas as well.
3. The Furnace – The furnace is one of the biggest appliances to investigate, as the cost of heating the home is a big concern. When a furnace uses natural gas, it can drastically lower energy bills. For this reason, it is important to install a natural gas furnace in the home when possible. To check a furnace, locate the bottom of the appliance and see if there is a black iron pipe emerging from the machine. This black iron pipe is a gas pipe. If the gas pipe is found, it means the furnace is powered by natural gas.
4. The Real Estate Listing – Because natural gas is a strong selling point for Realtors and homeowners, homes equipped with natural gas are often listed as such. Natural gas will often increase the value of a home. You can also ask the listing agent if the home utilizes natural gas.

What to do if a Home is Equipped for Natural Gas

If your home is set up to use natural gas, the next step is to find a gas company near the home. Our SCANA Energy service map is the best tool for seeing if we service your area. As the leading provider of gas services in the State of Georgia, we pride ourselves on being accessible and convenient. Call 877-467-2262 to start transferring your existing natural gas service to our preferred SCANA Energy service.

What to do if a Home is Not Equipped for Natural Gas

Natural gas enters a home and fuels appliances through pipelines owned and operated by Atlanta Gas Light (AGL). AGL also schedules turning gas lines on and off through a service provider. We become involved at SCANA Energy by facilitating the process of getting natural gas to a home.

The first step in connecting a home and its appliances to natural gas is to find out if the home is located within a SCANA Energy service area. Simply input a ZIP code into our online service map program to see serviced areas immediately.

If a home is located within a SCANA Energy service area, but the house does not include the proper infrastructure to use natural gas, AGL needs to step in. Contact the professionals at AGL at 800-599-3770 to see about installing the necessary infrastructure so that the home can use natural gas in the future. If a natural gas main is located near the home, a service line can be connected free of charge.

For more information about using natural gas in the home or other energy-related questions, call us at 877-462-2262 or visit www.scanaenergy.com.