Columbia Gas of Virginia offers tips for safe, affordable and warm homes this winter

As an early January blast of cold arctic air approaches Virginia this week,  Columbia Gas of Virginia is offering simple tips to help keep your home safe, affordable and warm this winter.

• Make sure your furnace is inspected and operating properly.

• Eliminate drafts with weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows.

• Columbia’s WarmWise Energy Efficiency and Conservation program offers cash rebates for insulation and appliances as well as other simple ways to save energy costs. To experience the savings go to http://www.warmwiseva.com.

• Do not store flammable materials near your natural gas furnace, water heater or stove.

• Columbia’s Budget Payment Plan can help manage your monthly energy bills. For more information visit: https://www.columbiagasva.com/billing-payment-options/budget-payment-plan.

• Never use stoves, ovens or outdoor grills as a source of indoor heat.

• Change or clean the furnace filters to maximize air flow efficiency.

• When using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Don’t forget to turn off space heaters when going to bed.

• Protect your water pipes in outside walls - run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage and close your outside crawl space vents to prevent frozen pipes

* Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children when leaving cabinet doors open.

• Check your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors to ensure they are operating according to manufacturer’s recommendation.

What To Do If You Smell Natural Gas
If you smell natural gas (Similar to “rotten eggs”) in your home or at any other time, evacuate immediately. Do not operate anything that could cause a spark including lights, cell phones, flashlights and appliances. From a safe location, call our emergency number at 1-800-544-5606 and 911.

To learn more about natural gas safety, visit http://www.ColumbiaGasVA.com.