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For the
last two years, many of our customers have saved on their
natural gas bills by arranging for their supplies through
the BWL.
It was all
part of an experiment by the Michigan Public Service
Commission (MPSC) that allowed a limited number of
Michigan residents and businesses to buy their gas through
alternate suppliers. For the duration of the three-year
experiment the state’s largest natural gas
utilities—including Consumers Energy Company—froze the
price they charged for natural gas supply.
During the
two years the BWL participated in the Gas Customer Choice
Program we were able to save participating customers 9
percent over the gas supply price charged by Consumers
Energy. For the average residential customer this
translated into a savings of about 5 percent on their
overall natural gas bill. |
The customer
choice pilot program and the price freeze both expire at the end
of March, just when the price of natural gas is increasing
dramatically due to supply shortages. The state’s largest
natural gas utilities are seeking Public Service Commission
approval to nearly double the price they charge for gas when the
price freeze expires at the end of March.
The BWL has not
been successful in locating new gas supplies at a competitive
price. Because of this we will not be able to offer natural gas
supply when our current supply contracts expire March 31. BWL
customers who have taken gas supply from the BWL will
automatically revert to gas supply service from Consumers Energy
unless they choose another alternate supplier.
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Regular
users of I-496 should be checking out alternate routes if
they haven’t done so already.
The popular
cross-town freeway will undergo a $42 million
reconstruction starting in April and continuing into
November. The entire expressway will be closed from Pine
Street to US-127 from April to August for the first phase
of the project. From Memorial Day to the Fourth of July,
US-127 near Trowbridge Road will also be reduced to a
single lane. |
Phase 2 of the
project won’t begin until Phase 1 is completed. During the
second phase one lane will remain open in each direction from
Pine Street to I-96 from August to November.
The Michigan
Department of Transportation advises that it makes sense to find
and practice using alternate routes before construction begins.
Want to know more? Call 335-0496 or visit the construction
project Web site at www.fix496.com.
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With spring
around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about
cleaning up the rivers again.
Lansing’s
Adopt A River program will hold its annual spring cleanup
Saturday, April 21, just one day before Earth Day.
This
year’s spring river cleanup promises to be the biggest
and best yet in Adopt A River’s seven-year history. East
Lansing residents and MSU student groups are stepping
forward to clean the banks of the Red Cedar River from
Hagadorn Road west to the Lansing city limits. From there,
volunteers will clean the Red Cedar and Grand Rivers all
the way to the west side of Lansing.
When it’s
all done, cleanup volunteers will congregate for a picnic
lunch along the Grand River behind the Lansing City
Market. There, organizers will also have wildlife
exhibits, displays, and, just for the kids, an inflatable
obstacle course play area. Join us at 8 a.m. and pitch in! |
To volunteer or
for more information, call the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action
Council at 485-9001.
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If you’re
concerned about the skyrocketing price of natural gas,
Urban Options has a program that can help you.
The East
Lansing–based nonprofit energy agency is now offering
Home Energy Check Ups for folks who are interested in
learning how to save energy in their homes. A
state-certified energy auditor will check your home from
basement to attic and make objective energy-saving
recommendations about insulation levels, windows and
doors, heating and cooling systems, and lighting and
appliances.
The cost
for this service is $75 and includes a personalized Home
Energy Check Up checklist, educational materials and
resources, plus a one-year membership with Urban Options.
To sign up
for a Home Energy Check Up, call Urban Options at 337-0422
or send an e-mail to info@UrbanOptions.com. |
We’re proud of our electric
service reliability record, but power outages do happen from
time to time, especially during Michigan’s unpredictable
spring weather.
If that happens
to you, remember that help is just a short phone call away. If
you have a power outage at your home or business, call the BWL
PowerLine at 1-877-BWL-5001. It’s a free call. It’s quick
and convenient. And it can handle up to 40,000 calls an hour,
recording your outage information quickly and conveniently.
There’s just
one catch. PowerLine uses your home number to automatically
determine your location. Check your BWL utility bill. If your
correct phone number isn’t printed on your bill, please write
it down in the space provided on your payment stub and return it
with your payment.
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