Utility company helps Clairton customers prep for cold

A dozen Clairton homeowners received free furnace checks this weekend as Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania reached out to low-income customers in targeted regions.

On Sunday, contractors from 25 companies across Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Elizabeth-based Mitchell Plumbing, Heating and Cooling and North Versailles Township-based VIP Heat & AC, participated in Columbia's Emergency Repair Program to prepare for winter.

Columbia Gas is committed to helping our vulnerable populations income-qualified customers, senior citizens and the disabled, communications and community relations specialist Brynnly Schwartz said. We wanted to be proactive to help these customers.

Columbia reached out to Clairton officials early in 2014 because two city residents died of carbon monoxide poisoning last year. The gas company made presentations at city hall and compiled a list of at-risk homeowners who could benefit from safety checks and emergency repairs.

Underprivileged citizens who normally wouldn't be able to absorb this expense now have an opportunity to have a safety check done, Mayor Rich Lattanzi said. If we can save a few lives, what a benefit to the community.

Mitchell Plumbing, Heating and Cooling service technician Vince Cox checked several Clairton homes, including Paul Julian's residence on Fifth Street.

Julian, 60, has lived there for 59 years. He was raised there and now lives alone.

As a senior citizen with a fixed income, Julian said he's appreciative of the Emergency Repair Program and other initiatives that help low-income customers cope with expensive utility bills.

It makes me feel a lot safer that the furnace and hot water tank are all right, Julian said.

Cox checked gas lines that fuel the furnace and hot water tank and found a few connections that need to be replaced, while Columbia technicians checked outdoor connections to the home's gas meter. Julian said he would not have been able to afford the work without Columbia's assistance.

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Utility company helps Clairton customers prep for cold