Friday-August-14-2015

Houston - August 14, 2015 - CenterPoint Energy is experiencing a natural gas outage in the Texas City area that is affecting about 700 customers.

"Safety is our number one priority as we work to restore natural gas service," said Randall Sanders, district director for CenterPoint Energy. "We have begun the process this afternoon of turning off the flow of gas to each customer's natural gas meter; our goal is to have each meter turned off by later this evening.

"We will then work to ensure that the natural gas distribution lines are clear of air. Once the lines are clear, our certified service technicians will begin performing a series of safety checks to ensure there is no risk involved in restoring gas service. To perform these inspections, CenterPoint Energy service technicians will need to enter each home or business; we expect this process to begin late tonight and continue throughout the day tomorrow. We have also brought in technicians from other parts of our service territory to assist in restoring gas service"

"There is no need to call us as we make our initial assessments," Sanders added. "We anticipate restoring service to most customers by end of day tomorrow. At this time, no action is required on the part of the customer. If an adult over age 18 is not at the service address when a technician arrives, the company will leave a door hanger with instructions."

For safety reasons, the company urges customers not to turn any valves or tamper with the natural gas meter. Opening or turning any valves could allow air to enter the natural gas lines, which would hinder the restoration process.

For updates, follow CenterPoint Energy on Twitter: @CNPAlerts​.

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