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Safety

Prevention: Inspect and Use CO Detectors

CO Detector
  • Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) issues with an annual gas heating system inspection to prevent any potential CO problems.
  • Use of a CO detector provides a second line of defense. Be sure to replace your detector’s batteries every six months – use the time changes as your reminder that it is also time to change the batteries.
  • CO exposure produces flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, confusion or irritability at low levels and vomiting, drowsiness, and loss of consciousness, or even death, at high levels.

Smell Natural Gas or Suspect a Leak?

Report it! From a safe place, call 911 and Hope Gas at 800-934-3187.
A natural gas leak can be dangerous. Here are some tips to stay safe.
Signs of a Gas Leak
Natural gas is non-toxic, colorless, odorless and lighter than air. An odor is added to help you detect a potential gas leak. Signs include:
  • A rotten egg odor.
  • Discolored or dead vegetation over or near the pipeline.
  • A hissing, whistling, or roaring sound near a gas appliance or pipeline.
  • Dirt or debris blowing into the air; persistent bubbles in water-covered areas.
  • Flames (if a leak has ignited).
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If a Leak Occurs
  • Leave the area immediately.
  • Warn others to stay away.
  • From a safe place, call 911 and Hope Gas at 800-934-3187. Reporting a gas leak can’t be done online.
What Not To Do if You Suspect a Gas Leak
  • Do not try to turn natural gas valves on or off.
  • Do not smoke, use a lighter or strike a match.
  • Do not attempt to locate the gas leak or open any windows.
  • Do not use any electric switch, telephone or cell phone, garage door opener or flashlight as they can cause sparks and ignite gas.
  • Do not start or stop nearby vehicles, machinery, or things that may spark.
CO: Carbon Monoxide Gas
A malfunctioning appliance can create carbon monoxide gas, which can be deadly. Three warning signs that a gas appliance is emitting CO long before hazardous CO levels can build up:
  • Excessive, unexplained moisture: If the chimney is blocked, excessive water will accumulate on walls and windows.
  • Soot build-up: Black carbon will accumulate on ceilings and walls, blackening the front of a fireplace and the front door of a furnace.
  • A strong, obnoxious odor: Although CO is odorless in its pure form, it’s usually associated with aldehydes, which have an odor like automobile exhaust.
Hope Gas considers it an emergency if customers smell an odor of gas or if none of their natural gas appliances are working. If customers smell a natural gas odor inside a house or building, they should leave the premises immediately and call our 24-hour emergency service from a neighbor's house, toll-free, at 1-800-934-3187.
Dig Safely
If you are planning to dig on your property, follow these important steps:
  • Call before you dig. State laws require that before digging, you call WV811 by dialing 811 or by visiting WV811.com to have your lines located at least 48 hours excluding weekends and holidays before you begin any excavation work.
  • Technicians will mark the location of the utility lines on your property prior to your meter at no cost to you. Once all lines are marked, you can then safely begin your digging project.
  • Respect and pay attention to the markings for your safety.
  • Dig with care. If you accidentally hit a Hope Gas pipeline, no matter how minor it may seem, leave the area immediately and call Hope Gas from a safe place at 800-934-3187 and 911.
Emergency Information
For 24/7 Emergency Service Call:
1-800-934-3187
To Report a Gas Outage Please Call:
1-800-934-3187
For billing or service-related questions please call:
1-800-688-4673
811

Four Reasons To Contact 811 Before You Dig

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It Will Keep You Safe
Hitting a buried utility line can cause injury and even death. Some utility lines are buried just a few inches deep. Depending on where you live, it is possible that any of the following utility lines could be found in your yard:
  • Electric power
  • Telecommunication
  • Natural gas
  • Sewers and drains
  • Potable (drinkable) water
  • Reclaimed water or irrigation
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It’s The Law
Having your underground utility lines marked is the best way to know what’s under your feet before you start digging. In West Virginia, contacting 811 before you dig is required by law.
Make sure to plan ahead and submit your request 48 hours excluding weekends and holidays in advance of the work you are preparing to complete.

Waiting until the last minute could mean having to delay your project to allow time for representatives to come to your home to accurately mark buried utility lines.

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It Prevents Damage & Unplanned Outages
Having your yard marked means you can plan your digging a safe distance away from underground lines. In West Virginia, laws mandate a tolerance zone of 24” from the outside edge on either side of the marked lines. The tolerance zone is an area around underground lines where only safe digging practices are permitted.

Dig with care to ensure you do not hit a buried line which could result in the disruption of utility service for you and your neighbors. If a damaged line needs to be repaired, it could result in unplanned outages so workers can safely repair the lines. If you have your utility lines marked, and accidentally hit a Hope Gas pipeline or utility line, stop digging immediately and move to a safe distance away from the area. Call 911 immediately and then report the incident to Hope Gas.

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It’s Free & Easy
Contacting WV811 and the utility marking service is free and available to everyone. It’s as easy as dialing 811 or submitting a request online. You can download WV811 free app to quickly submit a request from your phone or tablet.

If you are working with a contractor for your project, make sure you understand whose responsibility it is to make the request to have the utility lines marked. The service is free no matter who makes the request.

Once a request is submitted, crews in your area will mark your project area with color-coded lines, indicating the locations of underground utilities. Private utility lines are not marked by 811. Those include gas lines between your meter and the house, electric lines running from your home to a detached garage or shed, invisible pet fences, lines for satellite or dish television, septic tanks and links, and propane tanks or lines.

Summer Safety

Below are some summer tips and guidelines to ensure the safety of our customers, our employees, and the public. 

Keep Clear of Right of Way Corridors

Hope Gas inspects the right of way corridors that help maintain the integrity and safety of natural gas pipelines. A right of way is a strip of land in which some of the property owner’s legal rights have been granted to another. A right of way agreement, called an “easement,” allows a company to construct, operate, repair and maintain facilities on the property. Easements are usually filed as a public record with property deeds. Rights of way must be kept free of structures and other obstructions. Never dig without first calling the state’s one-call notification system, WV811. To ensure pipeline integrity:
Right of Way Corridor
  • Do not erect buildings or structures, or plant trees or other obstructions on the pipeline rights of way.
  • Do not excavate, change the grade, impede or alter the flow of water within the rights of way without Hope Gas permission.
  • Do not move heavy equipment or logs across the rights of way and avoid blasting within 1,000-feet of the pipeline without approval from Hope Gas.

Pipeline Markers Indicate Underground Facilities

Since natural gas pipelines are under-ground, line markers are used to indicate their approximate location. Markers are general, not exact, locators.  Markers do not tell how deep a pipeline is buried, nor do they necessarily indicate the number of underground lines. Pipelines do not always follow a straight course between two markers, so never rely solely on the presence or absence of pipeline markers. It is a federal crime to willfully deface, damage, remove or destroy a pipeline marker.

Stop, Observe, Report

If you see unusual or suspicious activity near a natural gas pipeline or other company facility, please report it so we can protect our vital infrastructure. Call our Corporate Security at 1-800-684-8486 to report it. In an emergency, always call 911 first.