Gas News Release

September 18, 2001

Local Utilities Reach Out To Low-Income Families For Furnace Check Program

PITTSBURGH – Western Pennsylvania’s three major natural gas utilities -- Dominion Peoples, Equitable Gas, and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania -- will team up with the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) to make it possible for 75 pre-selected families to have their furnaces inspected for safety and efficiency.

The furnace inspections and cleanings for low-income families will be conducted on Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gas companies will help defray some of the cost of a new furnace if furnace replacement is necessary.

All of the participants have been pre-selected based on income.

The Western Pennsylvania Chapter of ACCA is a group of 58 independent heating and cooling contractors and 42 affiliates including suppliers, utilities and vocational schools in western Pennsylvania.

All ACCA furnace inspectors will wear special identification for the program. However, Dominion Peoples, Equitable Gas and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania would like to remind participants that they can still check with their gas company to confirm the inspection before permitting any furnace inspector into their home.

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