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Health & Fitness

Now We're Cooking WIth Gas

How to get a natural gas line to your home.

    The cold weather is almost behind us and that means cities and towns will soon be opening up the streets to bring natural gas lines to people’s homes. If you and your family have been thinking about using natural gas, now is the time to start looking into whether or not it is available in your area.

    When the decision is made to bring natural gas to your home, there are a few things you need to do.  First and foremost, you need to contact your local gas utility company and determine whether or not your home can be added to the pipeline.  Once you get the go ahead from the gas company, they will send you out a form for you to complete to get the process started.  The utility company will also let you know how much bringing gas to your home is going to cost. Included in this fee are all dig safe inspections,  blueprints, piping, excavating, town inspections, permits, and if necessary, police details to ensure the gas is dug for safely.  Once the form is received, you will be put on your town’s list to get gas.

     Once gas is brought to your home, there are a number of products you can use to make your home more energy efficient and save money. Inside the home, one of the most efficient changes you can make is converting your oil heating system into a natural gas heating system. By doing this, you could notice up to a 33% reduction in your home heating bills.  Another option is to have new gas appliances installed. A new gas dryer or stove will use a third of the amount of energy that a regular electric one will, and gas fireplaces offer a safer, cleaner alternative than wood burning or pellet stoves. Outside the home, natural gas can be used for grills, patio heaters, outside fire places and heating hot tubs.

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     Natural Gas has many advantages. Natural gas is clean burning and dependable. 99% of natural gas we use comes from North America, 84% of that is from the United States.  Natural gas is also economical and efficient.  Do you have natural gas in your home? How do you like it? Tell readers in the comments below.

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