Cold Weather Minute: What Is That Smell?
February 3, 2011
If you smell rotten eggs, evacuate and call 911. While natural gas is odorless, a chemical called mercaptan is added to the gas to help homeowners and utilities detect gas leaks. Mercaptan’s sulfury smell of rotten eggs is a warning to homeowners to evacuate their home and call 911. Columbia Gas customers receive scratch-and-sniff cards with a sample of mercaptan in their natural gas bills several times annually. If you are not familiar with it, call Columbia Gas DirectLink at 1-800-344-4077 and ask for a “scratch-n-sniff” card.
Learn more tips to save energy, safely heat your home and save money this winter.
Contact: Mike Marcus
724-416-6333
724-416-3695 (cell)
mmarcus@nisource.com
In an effort to help customers manage winter heating bills, Columbia Gas of Maryland today released the sixteenth in a series of ongoing public service announcements called “Cold Weather Minute” to print and broadcast media outlets across Columbia Gas of Maryland service areas. These tips are aimed at helping customers manage their energy bills this winter heating season by using energy wisely.
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