CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural
Gas (NYSE: PNY) today announced it will offer the following
assistance for customers whose service has been negatively impacted
by Hurricane Irene:
- Piedmont will not disconnect
any customer for non-payment of their natural gas bill and will not
apply late payment penalties to customers for delayed payments
- Piedmont will waive the
handling fees for customers whose payment by Automatic Bank Draft
is returned for "insufficient funds"
- Piedmont will not remove any
customer participating in the Equal Payment Plan for "insufficient
funds" (EPP allows customers to spread their payments over a full
12 months, reducing the amount due each month)
- Customers having difficulty paying their bill should call
Piedmont Natural Gas to discuss available options
The special assistance will remain in place through the end of
September, 2011. Customers are asked to call 1-800-752-7504
for more information. Specific qualifications apply.
Safety information and tips concerning natural gas
appliance
With many of its customers in North
Carolina feeling the impact of Hurricane Irene, Piedmont shares the following safety
information related to natural gas service and natural gas
appliances:
Wind-related damage:
- If you see or suspect damage to natural gas lines or facilities
due to uprooted trees or wind-related damage, call 911 or Piedmont
Natural Gas at 1-800-752-7504
Call 811 before you dig:
- Call 811 to have your natural gas lines located and marked (for
free) before you remove uprooted trees, rebuild storm-damaged
structures or dig anywhere on your property
If water has entered your home:
- Do not attempt to disconnect or work on or around your natural
gas meter
- Do not attempt to relight any of your natural gas appliances.
Call Piedmont at 1-800-752-7504 so
we can inspect your meter and your natural gas appliances for
possible damage
- Do not attempt to clear flood debris from your natural gas
meter or from any other natural gas appliance, including your water
heater. Call Piedmont for an
assessment
- Never use outdoor equipment indoors for cooking or heating.
This includes natural gas grills, generators, etc.
If your natural gas appliances are damaged by water:
- Natural gas appliances damaged by water may need to be replaced
according to manufacturer guidelines and instructions
- When choosing a contractor for repair or replacement of your
natural gas appliances, make sure the contractor is licensed,
committed to safety and follows all manufacturer safety
guidelines
- You can choose to work with Piedmont Natural Gas, one of our
approved Gas Advantage Dealers, or any other licensed contractor to
repair or replace damaged appliances
- For a list of Piedmont's Gas
Advantage Dealers, go to www.piedmontng.com and click on "Hurricane
Irene Watch"
- Note that unauthorized repairs can be unsafe and may void your
warranty according to manufacturer guidelines
- Call your appliance manufacturer if you are unsure that the
work being performed is an approved repair
If your home was not damaged by flooding, but your natural
gas service was interrupted, call Piedmont Natural Gas to schedule
an appointment.
If you suspect a natural gas leak (natural gas smells like
rotten eggs):
- Leave the premises immediately
- Call Piedmont Natural Gas at 1-800-752-7504 or dial 911
- Do not use your home phone
- Call Piedmont from a
neighbor's home
- Use a cell phone only if you are outside the home and away from
the smell of natural gas
- Do not use anything electrical inside your home that may cause
a spark (this includes all appliances and cell phones)
- Do not attempt to locate the source of the leak
- Do not attempt to stop the leak
- Do not attempt to turn off your natural gas
About Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily
engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than one million
residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including 52,000 customers served
by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are
invested in joint venture, energy- related businesses, including
unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas
storage and intrastate natural gas transportation. More information
about Piedmont Natural Gas is available at
http://www.piedmontng.com.
SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas