scesnick said:
That seems to be the norm around here when someone switches from gas heat to a wood burner or coal/wood boiler. The gas company is not too fond of wood heat !!
I assume that many of us in the Mid-Atlantic region are probably served by the same gas company. My family has been serviced by this company for many years. I must say, that the local dealer who services Virginia, West Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Western Maryland has been incredibly cooperative and helpful to us.
Many years ago, I was service by a local gas and electric company in northern Wisconsin. Many of my friends and relatives worked for the organization, yet the company was still incredibly cooperative and helpful. As far as I can tell from friends and relatives who continue to work there, it still is.
When we purchased our current home, our local gas company sent out a representative who inspected our Minnesota-built wood/gas furnace ( see
Wood Furnaces by Yukon-Eagle for info about our furnace). They also inspected our clothes dryer, our kitchen stove, and all the gas lines coming into our home. Nothing was ever said about us providing the majority of our heat from wood.
Because we own several properties in VA and WV, when we moved from our old house to our new house, they charged us an initial setup fee for the new home and a closeout fee or the old home. I called the local office, and they waived all the fees.
The utility company employees are local people. If anything, they are out there to help the locals as much as they are to help their employer.
For anyone experiencing problems with the local utilities, I'd contact a local representative before I started blasting them. They might just be on your side. They live in the community too.
Bring them some brats and cheese, or whatever is a favorite in your part of the country -- not as a bribe, but as a neighborly gesture -- and you might get a lot more cooperation than you ever thought possible.
Knute
