It's all a ball game. The good thing about locking prices is that you will know what your budget will be during the heating months or during the time your contract lasts. However, it's hard to lock the prices much in advance because of the market volatility.

Just read and follow the forcast provided by EIA to have a better idea of what is an uncertain world, then roll the dice and make a decision. You may be lucky or you may not be as lucky, but at least you made a decision on best available knowledge for your shareholders if it goes the wrong way:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp

Also, the new york mercantile exchange is a good page to check for current and past prices. I believe the webside is

http://www.nymex.com

Good luck with your decision!

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