Serving Communities in Lawrence, Richland and Jasper Counties

WELCOME TO 

ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY
 
Address: 1927 MILLER DR
   PO BOX 490

        OLNEY IL  62450

           Phone:   (618) 395-8588 OR (800) 633-6250

		WELCOME ...

Dear Customer:

Welcome to Illinois Gas Company. We're pleased to have you as our customer and look forward to providing you with safe and reliable gas service.

Our goal is to provide high quality service at the lowest reasonable cost.  As our customer, you both expect and deserve that.  And, we want your experience with us to be a pleasurable one.

Our responsibility as your gas supplier embodies two goals very important to us -- customer service and customer satisfaction.  We're in business to serve you and to serve you well, every hour of every day.  If you have a question or problem, we're just a phone call away.

Once again, Welcome to our service area.

Sincerely,

ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY
OFFICERS, MANAGERS, and EMPLOYEES

PO Box 490  1927 Miller Drive  Olney, Illinois  62450 
p (618)395-8588  f (618)392-4805

HAVE A QUESTION OR
PROBLEM? CALL US!

Illinois Gas Company customer service personnel are in a local office and available to serve you. Call or visit your local Illinois Gas Company office if you have a service, billing or payment related question. Our local office is located at 1927 Miller Dr., Olney, IL and open from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. 

To report a problem with your natural gas service outside of normal business hours and on weekends, call your Local Office, and our answering service will assist you by dispatching our personnel or relate your problem to one of our Managers.

MEASURING YOUR GAS SERVICE

Your gas meter keeps a record of the amount of energy you use to operate your appliances and heating system.  Each month you receive a bill from us for the amount of gas you've used.

A gas meter measures natural gas consumed in cubic feet.  The cubic feet are reflected as "therms" on your bill (100 cubic feet equals one therm). A therm of natural gas is roughly equivalent to the amount needed to dry six loads of laundry in a gas dryer.

Your service meter(s) is read at monthly intervals.  If there is a meter inside your home, our meter reader will ask your permission to read it.  When your absence prevents access to the meter, our office will attempt to notify you to make arrangements.  Otherwise, it will be necessary to estimate the amount of your usage for billing purposes.

ESTIMATED BILL CALCULATION

In the event that it is necessary to estimate the usage for billing purposes the following formula will be used to calculate the usage.

Prior 3 years of usage history for the same time period as the billing to be estimated, divided by 3 to obtain an estimate usage for the monthly bill.
	
	Example:  Nov 01	78
		    Nov 02	65	
		    Nov 03	73
 			Total 216 / 3 = 72 

UNDERSTANDING YOUR ENERGY BILL

Your billing for residential natural gas service is comprised of four basic components:

1)  a monthly facility charge (meter), of $13.50 to cover certain fixed costs of providing natural gas service.

2)  Energy Assistance Fee, is a charge of $.45 according to House Bill 362 passed January 1, 1998.  This charge is broken into two parts $.40 for energy assistance and $.05 for energy research and development. Illinois Gas Company submits this monthly to the State of Illinois. 

3)	a distribution charge, which reflects our basic costs of providing you with natural gas service thru our distribution gas lines. Illinois Gas Company charges .1588 cents per therm of usage.

4)  a purchased gas adjustment (PGA) charge, which reflects the cost of natural gas delivered to Illinois Gas Company system by Texas Gas Transmission Company.  The cost of gas itself is by far the largest expense we incur in providing natural gas service. On average, it represents nearly 63 percent of a customer's typical annual bill. There is no profit to Illinois Gas Company related to this charge.

5)  and certain state and local tax charges (as noted under State, ICC and Local Tax Charges).

STATE, ICC AND LOCAL TAX CHARGES

State tax charges are based upon a percentage of your total bill or on a per therm basis, whichever produces the lower amount.  For natural gas service the state tax charge is 2.4 cents per therm or 5 percent of the subtotal, whichever is lower.

Additionally, there is a .01% Public Utility Tax, which is paid to the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Illinois Gas Company acts as a pass through agent regarding taxes, which means it simply collects them and distributes them to the taxing bodies.

LATE FEE’S

Residential Customers have a payment due date of 21 days from the date of issuance of utility billing.  Commercial Customers have a payment due date of 14 days from the date of issuance of utility billing.  In the event that a customer pays for services rendered beyond 23 days for Residential and 16 days for Commercial accounts, a penalty will be assessed in the amount of 1.5% of the unpaid balance.

ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY
RATE SCHEDULE

 	 	MONTHLY	DISTRIBUTION	
		FACILITIES	CHARGE	
RATE	TYPE	CHARGE	PER THERM	
1	Residential	13.50	0.1588	
2	Small General Use	15.59	0.1176	
3	Medium General Use	43.44	0.0785	
4	Large General Use	      118.94	0.0734	
5
6	Seasonal
Interruptible	 86.64
211.56	0.1776
0.0478	
	1 THERM = 100 CU.FT.		
	    E = ESTIMATED			

PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS & SERVICES
	
Illinois Gas Company offers a number of programs and services to assist you with payment of your energy bill. Customers have the opportunity for ACH withdrawal from checking or savings for payment of the gas bill please contact our office to receive the authorization forms.

Other Payment Methods:

Payment Methods: Payment for the utility service in the form of cash, check or money order may be made in the following manner.

Mail, night deposit, ACH Sign up or at the company office located at: 	Illinois Gas Company
1927 Miller Dr
PO Box 490
Olney, IL  62450

Customers may also pay their utility service billing at the following locations:

First National Bank in Olney 	Trust Bank		Citizens National Bank	First Financial Bank		First National Bank (Noble)
101 E Main		600 E Main		202 S Whittle Ave		240 E Chestnut		105 E North Ave
Olney, IL  62450		Olney, IL  62450		Olney, IL  62450		Olney, IL  62450		Noble, IL  62868

Peoples State Bank		Casey State Bank 		First Financial Bank		First Mid Illinois Bank	Heritage State Bank
Rt 50/il250 		907 15th			1601 State St		909 12th St		2201 James St
Sumner, IL  62466		Lawrenceville, IL  62439	Lawrenceville, IL  62439	Lawrenceville, IL  62439	Lawrenceville, IL  62439

Citizens National Bank	Peoples State Bank		Peoples State Bank		Citizens National Bank	St Marie State Bank
1300 15th			1805 State St		201 N Main		100 E State St		103 N Main
Lawrenceville, IL  62439	Lawrenceville, IL  62439	Bridgeport, IL  62417	Bridgeport, IL  62417	St Marie, IL  62459

If you are in danger of disconnection and pay at one of the bank locations please remember to call and inform the Illinois Gas Company office.

Illinois Gas Company does not accept credit or debit cards as a form of payment.
THE BUDGET PLAN

If you were to chart your annual energy bill, it might resemble a roller coaster ride, up in the fall and winter, and down in the spring and summer.  Our BUDGET plan is designed to level out that ride and make it as economically smooth as possible.

With the BUDGET PLAN, your estimated yearly energy bill will be divided into 12 equal payments.  You'll pay the same amount each month, subject to adjustment if the cost or your pattern of energy use changes significantly.  All BUDGET PLAN accounts are reviewed every 4 to 7 months and undergo reconciliation in the month of May and are adjusted according to account balances.

PREFERRED DUE DATE PLAN

Another bill paying option is our Preferred Due Date Plan, which is available to any residential customer who is head of the household and can show that:	

	A) the primary source of income is from among the following:  Social Security; Supplementary Security Income; Veteran's Administration; any Pension Fund; Aid to Families with Dependent Children; Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled; General Assistance; Unemployment Compensation; and other similar sources of income will qualify for participation.  This plan allows you to choose a date (within 10 days of your normal due date) and have your bill due on that day every month.

DEFERRED PAYMENT AGREEMENT

A Deferred Payment Agreement can be arranged if you owe an amount for service that's past due.  This option allows you to make a down payment on the amount owed, followed by monthly payments on the balance.  At the same time you are making your monthly payments on the past due amount, you are required to pay all other regular bills for utility service on or before the due date.
Please contact us at (618) 394-8588 or outside of Richland Co (800) 633-6250, to ask about payment options to avoid disconnection.
OTHER SERVICES

Illinois Gas Company local office personnel also provide referral services by helping put customers in touch with local organizations and agencies that provide energy assistance funds.  One example is the federally and State funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program known as (LIHEAP), which is administered in our area by the Embarras River Basin Agency phone 1-217-923-3113, Richland County 618-395-2714, Lawrence County 618-943-2938, Jasper County 618-783-3987 hours of operation 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
BUILDING, REMODELING OR RENOVATING?

If you're building a new home, adding-on, or considering replacing your existing heating system, you may want to contact us for a free home energy advice. Our General Manager or Assistant General Manager will be happy to meet at your convenience to assist you in your energy decisions.

WE'RE REGULATED

The rates you're charged for our service, as well as the terms and conditions under which it is rendered, are reviewed and approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Copies of all terms, conditions and rates for energy service which have been ordered or approved by the ICC are on file in our local office and available for public inspection.

DEPOSIT’S

If you are a new customer and have not had service with our company, Illinois Gas Company will not collect a deposit.  Existing residential customers that have left our service owing the company money may be required to make a deposit to obtain service. Residential and Small Commercial customer will not be assessed a deposit in an amount greater than 1/6 of the annual usage of the requested location for service. Commercial businesses not classified as small shall not be assessed a deposit greater than 1/3 of the annual usage for the requested location for service. Special rules apply to low income households in regards to deposits our customer service representatives will be able to assist with any questions that may occur regarding low income household deposits.

If it is determined that a deposit is required the customer shall have the opportunity to pay the deposit thru a deferred payment agreement.  
  	
Interest shall be paid to the customer on all deposit amounts, including installments, held by the utility. The rate of interest will be the same as the rate existing for the average one year yield on U.S. Treasury Securities for the last full week in November. The interest rate will be rounded to the nearest 0.5%. In December each year, the Commission shall announce the rate of interest that shall be paid on all deposit amounts held during all or part of the subsequent year. 

After 12 consecutive months of accumulated interest, when a customer is not entitled to a refund of the deposit, the utility shall automatically credit the customer's account with the interest only. The credit shall be itemized on the customer's next regular bill statement as "deposit interest".

DISCONNECTION OF SERVICE

Illinois Gas Company has the right to discontinue service for past due billing provided the customer has been served a disconnection notice and that the disconnection of service has not been performed prior to 10 days from issuance of said notice but prior to 45 days from expiration of notice.

Other reasons for disconnection of service are as follows:
1)	Unsafe operating conditions
2)	Request of Civil Authorities
3)	Theft of Service
4)	Usage without Customer of Record on file.
5)	Failure of Customer to allow access to equipment after 2 consecutive estimated readings.
6)	Maintenance of the natural gas system.

RECONNECTION OF SERVICE

Illinois Gas Company will reconnect disconnected service within 48 business hours provided the reason for disconnection has been resolved with the company.  In cases involving disconnection for non-payment of utility services a reconnection fee of $30.00 may be required to restore service.  Additionally in the event the service was terminated for non-payment our utility personnel will restore service to the meter, however, the customer will be responsible for the inside equipment re-lighting.  It is essential that someone be home for the restoration of service in the event there is an unsafe condition that prohibits our service personnel from leaving the service on.

COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

Illinois Gas Company strives to provide safe and reliable personal service to our customers.  Illinois Gas Company realizes that there are times that perhaps our service may not meet the full expectation of our customer.  Customer Service Representative are available at 618 395-8588 or 800-633-6350 to address any concern’s a customer may have Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  If the customer service representative is unable to answer questions concerning a complaint ask for it to be directed to a Supervisor.  Please leave a way to contact you either by phone or mail and a supervisor will address any complaint within 14 days.  Priority will be given to the following complaints:
1)	Accounts that are disconnected or when a health or safety concern has been raised by the customer.
2)	Customer accounts in jeopardy of Disconnection.
3)	All other supervisory referrals.

In the event that the supervisor has not fully addressed your concerns you may then direct the complaint to the Illinois Commerce Commission Consumer Services Division at 1-800-524-0795 (TTY 1-800-858-9277). 

	Intake of Complaints by the Commission's Consumer Services Division: 

1)	Telephone or in person: The Consumer Services Division shall perform a customer interview and draft an informal complaint, including a description of the dispute and the relief sought. Telephone or in person informal complaints may also be taken from the customer's designated representative. 

2) 	Writing: The customer or the customer's designated representative may submit informal complaints in writing, either electronically or through traditional mail or fax (if available), to the Consumer Services Division.

LOW INCOME CUSTOMER

Do you qualify as a low income customer?  Illinois Gas Company would like to know…. Special rules apply to low income customers.  This notification will assist us in better serving you our customer.

How to qualify as a low income customer:  Qualification is effective for purposes of this definition when the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) administrator notifies the customer's utility of the customer's low income status. Unless water and sewer utilities begin participation in a low income assistance program with the LIHEAP agencies, it shall be the individual customer's responsibility to notify and provide proof to the water and/or sewer utility of the customer's low income status under the income criteria of Section 6 of the Energy Assistance Act of 1989. Qualifications established on or after September 1 shall remain effective for purposes of this definition until December 31 of the following year. Qualifications established before September 1 shall remain effective until December 31 of that same year. 

ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION

Illinois Commerce Commission rules apply to service standards and reliability.  For more information on the rules governing service and other important information contained within please refer to:

http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/083/08300280sections.html

HOW YOU CAN HELP US SERVE YOU BETTER

While it's our goal to render you service as quickly as possible, there are a couple of steps which you can take to help speed up the installation of your natural gas service.  

They include: Providing us with as much advance notice as possible. Doing so can enable our personnel to more quickly schedule and process your service request.

If a new home or subdivision is involved, provide us with a copy of your preliminary plat or site plan prior to submitting it to the city for final approval. We can then indicate on the plat the required utility easements for any electric, gas distribution and water systems.

In addition to a copy of the site plan, we will need some basic gas load information before we can begin processing your request.  Such information includes the number of gas appliances you plan to have; the square footage of the space you plan to heat; and the proposed location of your service entrance.
		
IMPORTANT TIPS ABOUT YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR SAFETY

If you smell gas, evacuate the building and call Illinois Gas Company from a safe location. Don't light a match, or flip a light switch or use anything electrical. Don't even use your telephone. Go to a safe location outside and wait for our service personnel to arrive. There is no charge when we send a gas utility man to check for natural gas leaks.

Special precautions may be necessary in the event of a disaster caused by an earthquake, flood, storm or similar event.  If your home suffers structural damage and you hear the sound of escaping gas, immediately evacuate the premises and call Illinois Gas Company.  You should notify other disaster assistance agencies, too. Do not attempt to relight any appliance or pilot lights.  Our service personnel will relight them once the problem is corrected.  Restoration of gas service following a major interruption due to a storm, flood or other natural disaster should only be done by Illinois Gas Company personnel.

If you're without heat, check your gas water heater and/or other gas appliances to see if they're operating properly.  If they are, you may have a problem with your furnace.  If so, contact a qualified heating or service contractor.

If the problem is with your natural gas service, call Illinois Gas Company.  (We can be reached during the hours of 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.  Outside of normal business hours call our local office and our answering service will dispatch our personnel.)  An Illinois Gas Company employee will be sent to your home to check for leaks or operation problems at no charge. (NOTE: It's important that you follow the previous step and check your gas appliances first.  You may be charged a service fee if it's determined the problem is not related to our service.)

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING

Flexible gas connectors (see image) are used to bring gas from supply pipes to appliances such as stoves, dryers, and room heaters.  They are made of corrugated metal tubing - newer models being fabricated from stainless steel or from brass that has been coated with plastic.  Most older connectors, however, were made from un-coated brass.

Some of the uncoated brass connectors have a serious flaw in the way they were made.  Solder was used to braze, or join, the flexible brass tubing to the end pieces.  Over time, the brazing can fail, causing a serious gas leak.  This could lead to an explosion or fire.

To our knowledge, brazed uncoated brass connectors have not been made since 1976, but we still find many of them in use.  The older these connectors get, the greater the possibility of failure.

It is very difficult to see whether a flexible connector has been brazed.  So don’t take a chance.  If you have an uncoated brass connector in your home, it should be replaced with either a new stainless steel or a new plastic coated brass connector.

In fact, it’s a good practice to replace any flexible gas connector which is more than 10 years old.  This is because flexible connectors are not meant to last a lifetime or to be reused.  Older units can wear out from too much moving, bending, or from corrosion.

If you can, Check your flexible connector without moving the appliance attached to it.  If you cannot make this check without moving the appliance, we recommend that you have a service contractor inspect the connector for you.  Moving the appliance could strain the connector, possibly causing a gas leak.  So if your appliance must be moved, it’s best to have a professional on hand to do it.

And remember, if you think you have a gas leak in your home, from a flexible connector or form any other source, please call us immediately at 1-800-633-6250.  If the odor of gas is strong, leave immediately and make the call from a neighbor’s phone or a pay phone.  On the way out, open windows and doors, and alert others to leave. Take care not to operate appliances, or turn light switches on or off.	

BURIED PIPING

Due to new state and federal regulations we are required to inform you that our responsibility for maintaining your gas piping ends at the meter, provided that it is within three feet of your building, or at the last fitting before entering the building if the meter is more than three feet from the building. This means that piping entering your building, or other buildings, to gas lights, grills, etc. are yours to maintain. We particularly urge that the gas line entering your building be above ground.

As you probably are aware, buried piping may be subject to the hazards of corrosion and leakage.  Buried gas piping should be periodically inspected for leaks and for corrosion if the buried piping is steel or copper. Any unsafe conditions should be repaired upon discovery. When digging must occur near buried gas piping, the piping should be located in advance, and the excavation be done by hand.

Illinois Gas and possibly other plumbing and/or heating contractors may be able to assist you with these responsibilities. Please feel free to contact us at Illinois Gas if you have any questions or concerns regarding your buried gas piping.
ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY SERVICE LABOR RATES

NEW SERVICE LINES:

The Company will provide at no charge:

100 feet of service line for a new customer using gas heat.
100 feet of service line for a new customer using gas water heating; and a total of
100 feet of service line for a new customer using one of the following gas fired appliance’s
	(range, clothes dryer, grill, gas light, swimming pool heater)

Additional service line shall be charged to the customer based on a labor rate of $92.00 per hour, per man and actual material costs.

The customer shall pay, in advance, the Company’s cost of installing a temporary gas service.

Customers requesting alterations to mains or service lines which do not benefit the company by way of significant improvement to the facilities or an increase in gas load shall pay in advance the estimated cost of the alteration.  Estimated charges will be calculated based on a labor rate of $92.00 per hour, per man and actual material costs.

SERVICE LABOR CHARGES:

	7:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday – Friday		$92.00 per hour

	4:30 PM – 7:30 AM, Monday – Friday		$184.00 per hour

	Saturday’s, Sunday’s and Holiday’s			$184.00 per hour

Interest will be charged on unpaid Service Billings at the rate of one and one half percent per month on unpaid balances after 90 days.

Customers requesting restoration of gas service after hours following discontinuance do to Non Payment will be subject to a collection fee of $30.00 in addition to the hourly call out rate of $184.00 per hour.

Gas Light Mantles supplied to Customers:
	Inverted Mantels			  $5.38 per package plus 6.75% sales tax
	Upright Mantels			$12.00 per package plus 6.75% sales tax

Labor charges to service Gas Lights $92.00 per hour plus price of mantels.  If the time involved is less than an hour then a $46.00 labor charge will apply.

What to Do in Case of a Natural Gas Leak:
Don’t:							Do:
Operate any electrical devices or switches.			Evacuate the premises.
Turn on any lights.					Leave the door open on your way out.
Use any matches.						Leave the area if you are outside.
Use the telephone.					Go to the nearest phone and call Illinois 
Use a Flashlight.						Gas Company.
Turn on the television or radio.				Stay away until Illinois Gas Company says it
 Turn on the gas range or any appliances.			is safe to return.
Open an automatic garage door.				CALL US IMMEDIATELY AT:
Use cellular phones or pagers				618-395-8588 or 800-633-6250
Carbon Monoxide Awareness:
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer.  Assure that all fuel burning appliances are installed, maintained, and used properly and safely.
It is important to be aware of the symptoms of CO poisoning.  Symptoms can occur immediately or gradually after long term exposure.
Common symptoms include:  Dizziness; Shortness of breath; Headaches; Confusion; Nausea; Fainting.
If you suspect Carbon Monoxide is present immediately call the local fire department or 911.
Damage Prevention:
Underground Utilities Exist Everywhere CALL JULIE BEFORE YOU DIG 800-892-0123
Call at least two (2) Working Days Before the Start of your Work. 

ILLINOIS GAS COMPANY

KEYS to NATURAL GAS SAFETY

1927 MILLER DR
PO BOX 490
OLNEY, IL  62450

1927 Miller Dr			Phone 618-395-8588
PO Box 490			or  800-633-6250
Olney, IL  62450	

This information is being provided free of charge to all new and existing customers of Illinois Gas Company.  Copies are available at our local office or by mail please call us if you wish to have a copy mailed.