Peoples Natural Gas FEBRUARY 2011
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Safety. Customer Commitment. Trust. Community. news you can use from your energy partners at peoples natural gas FEBRUARY 2011 A Message From Customer Peoples’ CEO Assistance Program In 2011, Peoples Natural Gas will continue to re-establish ourselves as a committed Having trouble paying your natural gas community partner and a leader in the natural gas industry. Our vision is to help bill? If so, help is available to income- Western Pennsylvania move forward by serving our customers well, creating jobs and eligible customers. supporting economic development in the region. Peoples Natural Gas Customer Our plans for a new customer service call center right here in Western Pennsylvania Assistance Program (CAP) is a special are well underway. We are in the process of building new billing and pipeline payment arrangement for people who monitoring systems. We continue to create local jobs and are investing in infrastruc- meet income guidelines and are having ture improvements. trouble paying their bills. We remain committed to providing you with safe, reliable service. Again, thank you CAP participants make affordable for your continued support as we create your Peoples Natural Gas. payments to maintain gas service by paying between 8 and 10 percent of their total monthly before tax household Morgan K. O'Brien income each month. President and CEO Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC Call 1-800-400-WARM (9276) for more information and to see if you qualify. 375 North Shore Drive, Suite 600 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212 1.800.764.0111 www.peoples-gas.com (Continued from other side) peoples view / february 2011 Third Party Energy Assistance– Notice Crisis Program Baby boomers are getting older and so The Pennsylvania Low-Income Home are their parents. We are all living fuller, Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) more mobile and healthier lives. opened Crisis Program centers on January 3, 2011 with a tentative closing date of March 31, 2011. These centers will assist eligible low-income households that are experiencing heating emergen- cies by providing an energy assistance grant. Heating emergencies include: no heat, lack of deliverable fuel, and need for heating system and fuel line repairs and replacements. To qualify for a Crisis Program grant, the applicant must provide proof of their heating emergency, social security numbers for all members of the house- hold and proof of before tax household income for the last 90 days – at the Ask to See With the Third Party Notice, a friend, minimum. Household income cannot Identification relative or agency can be notified if exceed the guidelines shown below. service is in danger of being terminated. Peoples Natural Gas service personnel The third party receives a copy of the will always carry a company identifica- termination notice and can take action Household Size Max. Annual Income tion card. Protect yourself from impos- to make sure gas service continues. ters. Ask to see an ID. Identification The third party is never obligated to 1 Person $ 17,328 cards will have the service person’s pay the bill. name, picture and the Peoples Natural 2 People $ 23,312 Gas logo. Also, look for a vehicle with If you would like to be designated a third 3 People $ 29,296 the Peoples Natural Gas logo. party, or if you would like to designate someone to be a third party for you, 4 People $ 35,280 please visit our website at www.peoples- gas.com and enter keywords: third 5 People $ 41,264 party notice. You may also call us at Emergency Service 1-800-764-0111 to request a Third Party 6 People $ 47,248 Contact Info Notice enrollment form. For each additional person, add $5,984. Our emergency personnel are on duty to Fill out the enrollment form and mail it assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. to the address listed on the form. Both For more information, contact your parties must sign the form. local County Assistance Office or the If you smell a natural gas odor, suspect a LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095. leak, or there is an explosion or fire, call You may also contact Peoples Natural us immediately at 1.800.400.4271. Gas at 1-800-400-WARM (9276). Safety. Customer Commitment. Trust. Community. news you can use from your energy partners at peoples natural gas APRIL 2011 A Message From Meter Reading Peoples’ CEO Notice The vision of Peoples Natural Gas is to help western Pennsylvania move forward by serving our customers well, creating jobs and supporting economic development in Did you know that Peoples Natural Gas the region. Safety, Customer Commitment, Trust and Community are the values that is moving to a new billing system? This we strive to achieve each and every day. system will allow us to provide you with Over the past couple months, we have hired new customer service representatives improved customer service through our and are engaging them in intensive training with upgraded technology systems to new service center located right here in bring you improved service. These representatives will assist you from a call center Western Pennsylvania. right here in western Pennsylvania beginning this summer. New and improved services through the Peoples Natural Gas website will soon follow. Including these new employees, we expect the total hires in the region for our company to approach Normally, your meter is read every other well over 200 new jobs since February 1st of last year. month. However, to prepare for our new As part of a $100 million investment in our infrastructure, additional operations billing system, we are going to make an employees have been hired to maintain, modernize and improve our pipeline systems. attempt to obtain an actual meter And, Peoples Natural Gas will continue to support community organizations and reading in both April and May of 2011. events throughout our 16 county service territory that enhance the region where we This means that Peoples Natural Gas all live and work. meter readers will be coming to your We are committed to providing you with the safest and most home during this time. If you have an reliable service we can. Watch our bill inserts for updates inside meter, we will need to have access throughout the summer. Again, thank you for your continued support as we create your to your home in order to read the meter. Peoples Natural Gas. If we have a key for your home, we will Morgan K. O'Brien use that key to obtain a reading both President and CEO Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC months. What’s That Smell? The dates when we will attempt to read your meter are listed on the Although the natural gas delivery system is extremely safe, it is not infallible. Leaks do occur on occasion, but last bill you have received. they usually can be detected in one of 3 ways: Having our meter readers read your BY SMELL If you smell gas or see or hear any of the • Because the gas is naturally odorless, a warning signs, do not attempt to locate meter in April and May will ensure that sulfur-based odorant is added to give it the leak. Instead, leave your house your actual usage is accurate before a rotten-egg smell that warns of its immediately. Do not turn on or off any being converted into our new billing presence. Be alert for this odorant or electrical switches, appliances or lights. system. This is part of our effort to any petroleum smell. An electrical charge could create a spark. improve our overall customer service. BY SIGHT When you are in a safe place, call the • Escaping gas affects the nutrients in Peoples Natural Gas emergency line Thank you for your patience during this soil, so discolored soil or dead vegeta- immediately at 1-800-400-4271. Our process. Should you have any tion near a pipeline may indicate a leak. emergency personnel are on duty to questions or concerns, please assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a contact us at 1-800-764-0111. BY SOUND week. Please remember to use this • Natural gas leaks may make a hissing number only if you have an emergency. or a high-pitched whistling noise. 375 North Shore Drive, Suite 600 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212 1.800.764.0111 www.peoples-gas.com (Continued from other side) peoples view / APRIL 2011 Customer Keep Meter Free Assistance Program From Obstruction Having trouble paying your natural gas Please remember that your natural gas bill? If so, help is available to income- meter must be accessible for our eligible customers. technicians to read. Keep a three-foot clearance in front of your meter, with Peoples Natural Gas Customer grass and bushes trimmed in its vicinity. Assistance Program (CAP) is a special payment arrangement for people who meet income guidelines and are having Ask to See trouble paying their bills. Identification If you have received a grant from the Peoples Natural Gas service personnel Low Income Home Energy Assistance will always carry a company identifica- Program (LIHEAP), you may be Take the Bite out of automatically eligible to participate in tion card. Protect yourself from impos- Meter Reading the CAP program. Peoples will enroll ters. Ask to see an ID. Identification you in the program and send you cards will have the service person’s information on what information you need to provide in order to stay on the Any dog may become protective at the name, picture and the Peoples Natural CAP program. sight of a stranger. Meter readers, Gas logo. Also, look for a vehicle with customer service representatives and the Peoples Natural Gas logo.