Columbia Gas Names Partner for Energy Efficiency Programs
Columbus, Ohio – Columbia Gas of Ohio has selected Conservation Services Group (CSG) as the contractor that will operate the utility’s Home Performance Solutions and Small Business Energy Solutions programs, which will launch this summer
These energy-savings opportunities are part of Your Energy Solutions from Columbia Gas of Ohio, a family of programs helping Columbia Gas customers save energy, save money and protect the environment.
Home Performance Solutions will particularly benefit Columbia Gas of Ohio residential heating customers with high gas usage and will offer affordable home energy audits and rebates on attic and wall insulation, professional air sealing and high-efficiency gas furnaces.
Small Business Energy Solutions offers Columbia Gas small commercial customers a free online energy audit tool and rebates for installing certain energy conservation measures.
Details about how to participate in these programs are still being worked out and will be communicated to customers in the coming weeks.
As the Home Performance Solutions and Small Business Energy Solutions implementation contractor, CSG will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of these programs in Columbia’s 60-county service territory.
CSG, based in Westborough, Mass., has 25 years of experience in managing energy-efficiency programs for gas and electric utilities, state agencies, builders and other clients. CSG will establish an Ohio office, hire locally and recruit local contractors throughout Columbia territory to implement the Home Performance Solutions and Small Business Energy Solutions programs.
“Conservation Services Group brings to Columbia a breadth of experience, depth of resources and creativity which it has used to help achieve energy savings all over the country,” said Jack Laverty, manager of Your Energy Solutions for Columbia. “We believe they will be an ideal partner as we deliver energy savings opportunities to our customers.”
“CSG is looking forward to helping Columbia Gas achieve great program results while also helping individual customers successfully control their energy bills and help protect the environment,” said Mark Dyen, CSG senior vice president. “We will be building a staff in Ohio to implement these programs and backing them up with industry-leading training, software and technical support.”
Columbia Gas of Ohio launched Your Energy Solutions in January with Simple Energy Solutions, which offers rebates to residential customers who purchase ENERGY STAR® programmable thermostats and high-performance, high-efficiency showerheads. Columbia customers may purchase these energy-saving products online at ColumbiaGasOhio.com/e-store, by phone at 1-866-542-4767 or by shopping at a local store. Mail-in rebate forms and energy-savings information are available at ColumbiaGasOhio.com.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) in 2008 approved Columbia’s plans for an energy-efficiency program open to its residential and small commercial customers. Your Energy Solutions was designed with input from the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), the PUCO staff and other partners.
Natural gas commodity costs make up 80 percent of the average customer’s gas bill. Reducing gas usage saves customers money on their bills.
Columbia Gas of Ohio, with headquarters in Columbus, is one of the nine energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). Serving approximately 1.4 million customers in 60 of Ohio’s 88 counties, it is the largest natural gas utility in the state. NiSource distribution companies serve approximately 3.8 million gas and electric customers primarily in seven states.