Kicked the gas? Here’s how to cut the pipe (and have a little party)!
Have you converted your home to all electric—or are you getting really close? Once you’ve transitioned all your gas appliances to efficient electric, you’re ready to join the community of Portlanders who have said goodbye to methane gas in their homes for good. The final step is to have NW Natural cut your gas line at the street and remove the meter from your property. It’s free, and as simple as contacting NW Natural and signing a form.
Ryan Shanahan, Zero Energy Retrofits Manager at Birdsmouth Design Build, had his gas service removed a few years back. According to Ryan, the process was free and easy: “I contacted NW Natural to ask them to remove the meter from my house and inquired about removing the gas line as well. They said they could do it, but I’d have to sign a form acknowledging that it would cost the next homeowner more money to bring gas to the home if they wanted. I said, “That’s precisely the point, please send the form for me to sign! After I signed the form, they came out relatively quickly to remove the meter, then sent a crew out to disconnect the line under the pavement on the street. To my surprise they didn’t dig up the yard and physically remove the line, but in retrospect this was ideal because it meant the only thing I had to do as the homeowner was sign the form. I didn’t even pay a fee!”
When Melanie Plaut was ready to have her gas line disconnected, she decided to have them not just cap off, but actually remove part of the line to her house. Her reasons included discouraging any future owners from reconnecting, minimizing problems in case of earthquake, and decreasing the risk of leakage from the piping to the house. She contacted NW Natural, and says “My memory is it only took them a few weeks to come out … then the crew took two days to dig up the pipe from under the street. They were very cheerful about it!”
Ready to make the cut? Here’s how:
- Contact NW Natural. Here’s an example message: Good afternoon! We’ve fully electrified our home and no longer require gas service for our property. We’d like to have the gas meter removed and the gas line cut. Can you please help me schedule that? Our address is [Your street address].
- You’ll receive a reply from the NW Natural Engineering Technical Coordinator with a brief pdf form to complete and return, along with a description of what to expect.
- After you return the signed form, they’ll let you know the time range when you can expect to have the meter removed and the gas line cut. If you prefer to also have the line removed, you’ll be given contact information for their construction department so you can arrange that.
Getting your gas line cut? We’ll throw you a party!
One of our 2024 resolutions is to celebrate more often! If you arrange with NW Natural to get your gas meter removed and your gas line cut, reach out to let us know. We’d love to stop by with cake for a mini “cut the pipe” party!
Myth check: Which gas appliances actually work during power outages?
With our recent arctic weather, there’s a common misperception that gas appliances will still work during power outages. While natural (methane) gas can still flow into your home during a blackout, many appliances still require electric power to operate.
Gas Furnace: No, because the fan won’t work.
Gas Water Heaters: Probably not. Modern/efficient gas water heaters rely on electric fans. Older ones may work, assuming the pilot light’s lit.
Tankless Gas Water Heaters: No
Gas Stovetops: Yes, depending on the model. But ventilation fans won’t be working so be aware of dangerous indoor air quality.
Gas Ovens: No, because they have electric pilot lights.
Gas Fireplaces: Yes, depending on the model.
Check out CUB’s full article about the myth that all gas appliances work during power outages.
Also, there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if you use gas heating stoves or generators in your home. Check out this short video on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning during an emergency.
As energy rates increase in 2024, it’s time to get efficient!
Electricity rates are climbing in the Portland metro area. PGE residential customers will see an increase of 18%, or an average of $24 more per month. Pacific Power residential customers are looking at an 11% increase, or an average of $12.83 per month.
According to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), PGE’s increases cover the company’s wildfire prevention costs and meet their rising utility supply costs. Pacific Power’s increases are attributed to the changing costs of generating power.
Natural (methane) gas rates are also fluctuating—After raising rates 42% over an 18 month period, in November 2023 NW Natural reduced rates by an average of $8 a month for residential customers. Looking ahead, they’ve recently filed for an increase that would mean a monthly rise of $14.38 for the average customer. If approved, this will take effect November 1, 2024.
All of these increases highlight the importance of energy efficiency. If you have old resistant electric heating or an older electric water heater, you’ll see significant energy bill savings if you switch to a heat pump and/or a heat pump water heater. One of our members saw her winter electric bill drop from $300/month to $100/month after replacing her resistance electric heater with a heat pump. If you switch from a gas furnace to a heat pump, the efficiency of the heat pump (which transfers heat from one place to another) will provide energy savings over burning fossil fuels for heat. The heat pump will also provide cooling in summertime, which does increase electricity bills a bit.
If you’re concerned about rising energy costs, we recommend you follow the work of Oregon’s Citizen Utility Board (CUB), which was created by ballot initiative in 1984 and has been advocating for consumers’ utility interests since that time.