Central Hudson reminds customers to follow common sense safety practices when using or working around natural gas. “Natural gas is certainly the fuel of choice for homes and businesses for many reasons, and we want our customers to be aware of important safety procedures when using this versatile energy source,” said Charles A. Freni, Central Hudson’s Senior Vice President of Customer Services. Safety steps for natural gas include:

Learning what to do if you believe you smell natural gas inside your home, such as leaving the premises immediately and not turning off (or on) any lights, cell phones or electrically operated appliances. Customers should then call Central Hudson’s 24-hour gas odor hotline (1-800-942-8274) or the PowerLine (845-452-2700) from a different location to report natural gas odors;

Encouraging customers to practice natural gas safety, such as teaching children never to light or play with the controls on gas appliances; not using gas ovens or ranges for space heating or any other purpose than that for which it was designed; and keeping paints, thinners, oils, aerosol sprays, boxes, papers and other flammable materials away from natural gas appliances;

Recognizing that the burning of any fuel can create carbon monoxide. Heating systems and chimney flues should be serviced by professionals to ensure their safe and proper operation. As an added measure, customers should install carbon monoxide detectors, which are required by New York State in newly constructed dwellings or existing buildings offered for sale;

Informing Central Hudson of any buried natural gas lines on your property that are installed beyond the natural gas meter. These lines, which are owned by the homeowner, may be used, for example, to supply gas to another building on the property, to a swimming pool heater, etc. In New York state, the gas utility is responsible for performing a leak inspection on all known buried gas lines past the meter, and it is the homeowner’s responsibility to inform Central Hudson of these lines. If leaks are discovered, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to have them repaired; and

Keeping appliances, such as kitchen stoves and fireplaces, clean and free of debris, and having a trained professional periodically check their gas connections.

Ensuring that proper contacts are made prior to digging or excavating is another important safety measure. “All contractors, and even homeowners excavating on their own property, should contact Dig Safely New York prior to digging in order to prevent accidental contact with utility lines,” Freni said. “With the high level of construction activity in the Mid-Hudson Valley, it’s crucial that homeowners and excavating contractors follow New York State regulations by first calling Dig Safely New York at 1-800-962-7962 so that underground utilities can be identified and marked.”

This “one-call” number connects the homeowner or excavator to a statewide notification system that alerts utilities, municipalities and other parties that operate underground facilities of the contractors' intent to excavate at specific sites. “Contacting or damaging underground facilities can result in significant consequences, and these regulations were designed to protect individuals from physical harm and liability, and the general public from service interruptions of critical utilities,” noted Freni.

Damage to underground facilities can subject excavators to civil penalties and other liabilities, such as the costs to repair damage caused by the excavation. In addition, contact with certain underground facilities, such as natural gas pipelines and high voltage electric lines, can cause serious injury to those digging and bystanders in the immediate vicinity, as well as causing an interruption of utility services to homes, businesses and critical facilities, such as schools and hospitals.

Additional information on the one-call system is available at www.DigSafelyNewYork.com. To learn more about natural gas safety, call Central Hudson at (845) 452-2700 or 1-800-527-2714, or visit the utility's website at www.CHEnergyGroup.com.