Puget Sound Energy Bills Stink
The Puget Sound Energy (PSE) bills being mailed to household customers
through October stink. As a public safety measure, the Bellevue-based
utility that serves 1 million electric and 700,000 natural gas customers
in 11 Washington counties is including in this bill cycle a pamphlet
with a “scratch and sniff” panel.
A scratch on the panel releases a smell similar to rotten eggs —
the odorant (mercaptan) utilities add to natural gas (which is naturally
colorless, odorless and combustible) as a safety measure.
PSE wants to make sure that all members of the households they serve are
familiar with the odor so they can recognize it and take safety
precautions if there ever is a natural gas leak around their home or
elsewhere.
A hissing sound or blowing dirt may also indicate a possible natural gas
leak. If anyone suspects a natural gas leak, PSE recommends they follow
these steps:
Do not turn on or off any
electrical switches, use the phone, smoke, light a match or do
anything that might create a spark.
Leave the area immediately and call 911 or PSE at 888-225-5773 from
another location, such as a neighbor’s home.
The “scratch and sniff”
mailing will reach more than 1.3 million households in Whatcom, Skagit,
Island, Kitsap, King, and Thurston counties, and in parts
of Snohomish, Jefferson, Pierce, Lewis, and Kittitas counties. PSE
encourages anyone to request the safety pamphlet by calling PSE at
888-225-5773 or visiting www.pse.com.
About Puget Sound Energy
Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a
6,000-square-mile service territory stretching across 11 counties, Puget
Sound Energy (PSE) serves more than 1 million electric customers and
700,000 natural gas customers. PSE meets the energy needs of its growing
customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation,
low-cost procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted
investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. For more information,
visit: www.pse.com.