Peoples Gas & North Shore Gas Urge Customers to be Safe As They Begin to Turn on Their Home Heating Appliances (Integrys Energy Group)

For Release: 09/03/2009

Peoples Gas & North Shore Gas Urge Customers to be Safe As They Begin to Turn on Their Home Heating Appliances

Cooler Temperatures Means Residents May Already be Using Furnaces

Chicago, IL – It may still be August but mother nature has already given residents across Chicagoland a taste of the cooler months ahead. With temperatures dropping, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, the two natural gas utility companies serving approximately one million customers in the City of Chicago and 54 communities on the North Shore, are encouraging all customers to put home safety at the forefront and make sure they are practicing the appropriate safety measures as they begin to turn on their furnaces.

"Fluctuating temperatures and cool overnights are leading many people to begin using their furnaces," said Rodrigo A. Sierra, vice president of Public Affairs. "Along with providing safe and reliable natural gas service to our customers, we want to ensure they are armed with information to enable them to use their heating equipment and appliances in a safe manner."

The following tips will ensure a safe start to the heating season:

Make sure the furnace is inspected and cleaned before turning it on.
Keep the area around the furnace clutter free to avoid a fire hazard; never store flammables near a furnace.
Check furnace filters monthly and clean or replace them when necessary.
Make sure that furnace panels and grills are in place and that the fan compartment door is closed when the furnace is on; leaving these doors open could cause carbon monoxide (CO) to build up in living areas.
Make sure the flames of a furnace are blue; a yellow flame could indicate the presence of CO.
Have CO detectors installed and operating with fresh batteries.

Before winter’s chill takes its full grasp on the city and surrounding areas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas also encourage customers to manage their energy usage more efficiently by beginning to prepare their homes now through weatherization and energy conservation.

The following tips will assist customers in conserving and managing their energy usage more efficiently:

Install a programmable thermostat and set it to dial down the temperature automatically when you leave for work and after you’ve gone to bed.
Open your blinds or drapes to let the sun in on sunny days. At night, close them to help insulate your home from the cold.
Don't heat space you don’t use. Close the vents and shut the doors to less used rooms and open them up when you need them.
Weatherize your house by putting plastic sheeting over the windows and applying caulking around the doors and windows to prevent the cold from seeping in.

"These simple and affordable steps will allow customers to reduce the amount of natural gas they use and still stay safe and warm, said Sierra."

For more information on home safety and energy saving conservation tips, please visit our website at www.peoplesgasdelivery.com or www.northshoregasdelivery.com.

About Peoples Gas

Peoples Gas is a regulated natural gas delivery company that serves 840,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the City of Chicago. The company is a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: TEG). For more information on Peoples Gas, visit the company web site: www.peoplesgasdelivery.com.

About North Shore Gas

North Shore Gas is a regulated natural gas delivery company that serves 158,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 54 communities in Northeastern Illinois. The company is a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: TEG). For more information on North Shore Gas, visit the company web site: www.northshoregasdelivery.com.

For More Information, Contact:

Bonnie Johnson (Media)
Manager, Public Relations
(312) 240-4567
(312) 907-7333 (CELL)