Goodbye Natural Gas
Published Friday June 6, 2014: Updated 6/9/2014
Goodbye Natural Gas
I have been wanting to shut of the natural gas service for over a year now. Ever since we switched over to the electric ground-loop heat pump and electric water heater, the need for natural gas in our home had become almost non-existent. All except for our gas clothes dryer.
A couple of weeks ago we switched out the gas dryer for an electric one and instantly, our need for natural gas vanished.
Excitedly I called up Questar to cancel our natural gas service. The phone conversation went something like this:
Questar: Hello this is Questar customer service, how may I help you?
Me: Yes, This is John Loveless and I’d like to cancel our natural gas service.
Questar: Would you like me to transfer your gas service to your new address?
Me: Oh we aren't moving. We are staying in the same home. We no longer require natural gas and just want to cancel the gas service.
Questar: This isn't like canceling the premium channels on cable TV. We’re talking fuel here. Once you cancel it, you won’t be able to heat your home or run the hot-water heater. Do you understand what you are requesting?
Me: Oh Yes, I understand completely. Those technical challenges were solved a long time ago. The house and hot-water in our home have been heated comfortably without natural gas for well over a year now. We no longer require natural gas; nor do we want it anymore. So now I am asking you to please cancel the gas service.
Questar: Do you realize that once you cancel your gas service, we will come out, shut off the gas meter and put a lock on it? You will be without natural gas. Do you REALLY want to do this?
Me: Oh, that sounds wonderful! Absolutely, please do! I have been wanting to make that happen for a very long time now.
Questar (…. long pause and maybe a little offended)
Me: Oh, no, no. I am not unhappy with your service. It’s been fantastic and extremely reliable. We just don’t require natural gas as a fuel source for our home any more.
Questar: Really?
Me: Yes Really! Effective immediately, please cancel our gas service.
Questar: Please hold…. Long Pause ….. (grudgingly), Mr. Loveless, we will send someone out to your home to put a lock on the meter. We will also be checking up every so often to ensure nobody is using the gas service. Do you understand?
Me: Sure, do whatever you like. Take the gas meter off the house and cap off the gas pipe for all I care.
Questar: Oh we can't do that but we will put a lock on the meter.
Me: Sounds great....... Well, thanks for the years of service, but I'm going to let you go now. Thanks again. Goodbye.
Questar (still a little confused): Have a nice day.
Now that we had canceled our gas service, there was one final order of business with Questar gas: Have a service technician come out to shut off the meter and lock it shut.
Doorbell Rings:
Questar technician: Are you moving in or moving out?
Me: What?..... Oh, you must be from the gas company.
We no longer subscribe to natural gas service. Thank goodness.
No more gasoline, check. No more natural gas, check. Two down one to go.
Fossil fueled, grid-tied electricity, you're next.