There will be no splashy party nor balloons, not even a cake, to mark this month’s milestone 20th anniversary for Walton Gas. Instead, there is a promise to keep doing what we do best: providing exceptional service to natural gas customers throughout Georgia.
“We started this company to give Georgia
consumers a trustworthy, local choice.”
“We started this company to give Georgia consumers a trustworthy, local choice,” said Jim Bottone, vice president of Walton Energy. “That mission continues today.”
Walton Gas was established in 2002, just four years after the state’s natural gas market was deregulated. Deregulation meant Georgia residents were allowed to choose their natural gas provider.
“It wasn’t easy for consumers in the early years of deregulation. They had to sort through the different offers, different rate plans and terms from providers they didn’t really know. They never had to do that before,” said Phil Weatherly, director of business development for Walton Gas. “Many of those providers were aggressive, marketing with tricky or misleading offers in their quest to gain market share quickly.”
Since the beginning, Walton Gas has offered Georgia’s natural gas customers a better option.
“Our focus is to always offer a straight-forward
rate plan with no gimmicks or hidden fees…”
“Our focus is to always offer a straight-forward rate plan with no gimmicks or hidden fees, treat our customers like our neighbors, and be a steward of community,” Bottone said. “It’s what our parent company has been doing for more than 60 years.”
In 2002 no one could predict how successful Walton Gas would be or how long the company would be around.
“Twenty years later we continue to deliver best-in-class service,” Bottone said. “And I hope we’ll still be doing the same thing in another 20 years.”
20 for 20
In celebration of two decades of service, let’s take a look at some of Walton Gas’ greatest accomplishments and what sets us apart from other providers.
- Customer-focused values. Walton Gas is rooted in a corporate culture that prioritizes the consumer. The company is a subsidiary of consumer-owned Walton Electric Membership Corporation, an electric cooperative serving more than 136,000 residential, commercial and industrial accounts in 10 North Georgia counties.
- Peachy keen. Walton Gas is a Georgia company for Georgia consumers — nothing more and nothing less. The company is headquartered in Monroe within Walton County, halfway between Atlanta and Athens. A contact center and three walk-in offices are all located in the state, too. “We all live here, and we only serve customers in Georgia,” said Sherry Horvieth, director of consumer services.
- No gimmicks – ever! Misleading rate plans and other deceptive marketing practices that trick customers into signing contracts are all too common in natural gas marketing. But that’s not how Walton Gas does business. “We’re committed to being a trustworthy and transparent natural gas provider for all Georgians — no gimmicks ever,” Weatherly said.
- Competitive rates. Walton Gas offers competitive rates that provide the most for consumers’ energy dollar. “They’re very competitive with other gas marketers rate-wise,” said Kenny Weaver, chief financial officer for Athens-based Weaver Distributors, an auto parts wholesale distributor with warehouses in Athens, Augusta and Alpharetta.
- Choice. Walton Gas isn’t a one-trick pony. We offer a variety of rate plans so customers can choose what best fits their needs. Pay monthly or lock in a fixed rate for six, 12 or 24 months.
- The “Walton Way.” It means a relentless focus on the customer. “Our number one focus is on improving the customer experience. We want to be easy to do business with,” said Horvieth.
- Award-winning service. Walton Gas is gratified to be Georgia’s leader in customer satisfaction. Through the years, Georgians have consistently voted us as the best in class among natural gas providers.
- Where you are. Walton Gas can serve any consumer in Georgia whose home or business is along Atlanta Gas Light’s pipelines. Our customers are from Rising Fawn, a community tucked into the state’s northwestern corner, all the way to Folkston in the southernmost county.
- It’s all personal. Walton Gas goes above and beyond to make sure customers are taken care of. “We take every interaction personally. We listen, try to understand concerns — and we keep our word,” Horvieth said.
- Intent on integrity. Keeping promises is important to Robert Spence, president of Midtown Tire, a chain of automotive centers in Atlanta. “I want to do business with companies that do what they say they are going to do, and when they say they are going to do it. And that’s Walton Gas.”
- Real people. When you call Walton Gas you’ll speak with one of our 40 customer care representatives who are Georgians just like you. They’re available to answer your questions or hear your concerns from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on holidays.
- Bricks and mortar. Prefer transacting business face to face? Unlike many other providers who are based outside of Georgia, Walton Gas has you covered with three walk-in offices in Snellville, Watkinsville and Monroe. Each is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Easy does it. Establishing new natural gas service, as well as renewing or transferring service, can be accomplished via computer at any hour of the day with the company’s easy-to-use online options available at waltongas.com. Customers can also opt for the convenience of online billing and auto draft for bill paying.
- We mean business. Every Walton Gas business customer, large and small, has a single point of contact for discussing rate plan options, billing matters or the natural gas market in general. Walton Gas commercial account managers Ashlie Franklin and Jenny Serda are intent on helping businesses of all sizes succeed. They use their knowledge and experience to help businesses like Turner’s Keyboards, a second generation, family-owned and -operated piano retailer in Augusta.
- Fueling missions. Walton Gas helps warm buildings, water and food for institutional accounts such as city and county governments, school systems, places of worship and museums. Walton Gas is a dependable supplier for Gwinnett County Public Schools, the state’s largest public school system; the nearly 200-year-old First Baptist Church of Macon; the Dahlonega campus of University of North Georgia, one of only six senior military colleges in the nation; and the municipal facilities for the small town of Cave Spring, home to about 1,200 Georgians.
- A good partner. In April 2020, Walton Gas expanded its relationship with electric cooperatives by launching a partner program with Snapping Shoals EMC. Members from both Walton EMC and Snapping Shoals EMC can sign on with Walton Gas and bundle gas and electric fees on a single bill.
- Community caring. Throughout its existence, Walton Gas has remained committed to being a good community partner and neighbor. “We want to give back and support the communities we serve, live in and work in,” said Sara Hodge, Walton Gas communications coordinator. Walton Gas sponsors events such as the Georgia 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer and the AthHalf in Athens. Teams of Walton Gas employees have raised more than $400,000 for breast cancer programs and pounded the pavement to run the AthHalf half marathon and 5K, races that benefit arts education.
- Champions for charity. Children and the homeless are the real winners when the Georgia Bulldogs football team earns a victory. Every win scores a $1,000 contribution from Walton Gas’s Champions for Charity. Since 2013, the annual campaign has raised a combined $387,000 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Salvation Army and Camp Twin Lakes.
- Bringing HEAT. Walton Gas and its customers partner with HEAT, the oldest statewide fuel fund in Georgia to provide energy assistance to families in need, like Penny.
- The annual Walton Gas Ultimate Fan Experience.20. The annual Walton Gas Ultimate Fan Experience.
Over the last two decades, Walton Gas has proven that no matter what’s happening in the energy industry we’re a company residential and commercial customers can count on for years to come.