• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Puget Sound Energy Bills Stink

Posted on: Tuesday, 26 September 2006, 18:00 CDT

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.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category