Important Notices
September 30, 2021
An update for GFU Customers regarding gas pricing:
In May of this year the GFU Board of Trustees and the Grey Forest City council voted to obtain a bond in the amount of approximately $22 Million to be repaid over an 8-year period to secure eventual payments that may be due to Koch Energy Services for gas supplied to the utility during the winter storm that occurred during the month of February 2021. This would allow GFU to spread out any amounts owed to us by our customers over a long period of time.
Grey Forest Utilities continues to seek a detailed explanation from the energy supplier for the excessive natural gas prices that occurred. To that end we have followed our contract with this supplier, and we have disputed the amounts of the billing that we believe is excessive in accordance with the term of the contract. Koch has not provided the information requested but has requested that we enter mediation with them to resolve the disputed bill. We have maintained that we require the information that we have requested prior to deciding regarding mediation.
Until the matter is resolved either by negotiation, mediation, or litigation the Trustees determined that billing would begin for this gas effective with the billing for September 2021 gas delivered to our customers. Therefore, to secure the annual repayment of the bond an amount of $14.55 will be added to the cost of gas monthly until the matter is resolved. If the matter is resolved in GFU’s favor and a lower amount is determined to be owed for the gas in question our customers will be refunded for any amounts that they have paid that is more than what was determined to be owed.
We appreciate your support in dealing with this matter.
Jeff English
CEO & General Manager
Grey Forest Utilities
An Update to Grey Forest Customers about your bills from us and the February 2021 Winter Storm:
On May 3, 2021 GFU issued a formal contractual dispute over the invoice GFU received from our gas supplier who supplied gas to us in the February winter storm. This supplier, Koch Energy Services, provided us with an invoice on March 10, 2021 in the amount of $23 Million for purchases during the winter storm.
Our normal February purchase of gas would be approximately $540,000. Because of the extreme cold weather, the bill should have been about $1,047,000. The bill certainly should not have been $23 Million. What this means to you as a customer is that we are suspending recovery from you for the February storm cost until such time as this billing dispute is resolved and an accurate invoice from the supplier is received.
Our dispute with Koch Energy Services is over a factually inaccurate invoice. After thorough research into their activities during the storm event we believe the invoice to GFU is inaccurate specifically in pricing and in the amounts of gas GFU purchased from them during a key 8 day stretch during the storm period.
In accordance with our contract, we are suspending further payments to Koch Energy Services until these matters are resolved. As we have said in previous updates, when this matter is finally resolved, we will refund to our customers any over-payment they may have made for February 2021 gas purchases.
We will provide further updates as more information becomes available. We appreciate your continued support, and we appreciate the trust you place in Grey Forest Utilities as your gas supplier.
Jeff English
Grey Forest Utilities
March 3, 2021
A note to GFU Customers:
During the winter storm event that prevailed in the 3rd week of February 2021, I am proud to report that not a single customer lost natural gas service from Grey Forest Utilities. We serve almost 17,000 customers mainly in the NW San Antonio metro area. We know that many of you were without electric power and some of you were without power and water for several days.
GFU was limited on pressure from our pipeline supplier so that the pipeline could utilize that pressure to support power generators who were trying to supply power to homes and businesses that were going through power outages statewide. Our technicians worked several long days and nights to assure that pressure was sufficient to supply your homes; sometimes manually managing the pressure in certain areas to assure everyone had natural gas available. In our supply and pressure planning we plan for the worst possible scenario and this storm seems to have been about the worst we can expect. We need to keep in mind that it could have lasted even longer than it did and everyone would have suffered exponentially. We are all blessed that it did not. I am proud of our team and how they performed.
Lots of blame is being thrown around right now. Investigations have started to look into why your power was limited and why electric and gas prices appeared to have mysteriously skyrocketed overnight and continued for a period of about 8 days to support emergency generation for the electricity utilities. There is little doubt that, with the encouragement of the Texas Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power generators were authorized to increase their power prices and to utilize tight natural gas supplies to provide additional supplies of energy. This move appears to have effectively given a blank check to power and gas producers to charge exorbitant prices during a statewide emergency. If the investigations “follow the money” maybe those responsible will be held accountable. We are going to proactively assist these investigations in every way possible. Meanwhile, we must continue to supply you with gas and at the same time, we must react to what we are being billed by those who supply us with the natural gas that we deliver to you.
Local Natural Gas Distribution companies like Grey Forest Utilities, can expect to be hit with unprecedented high prices for the natural gas that we bought and provided to our customers. We are going to spread the higher-than-normal cost out over a long period of time to lessen the impact to our customers. You will see an increase in your February bills, they will be higher, and your bills will remain higher than normal until those prices are revised or until we have finished paying our suppliers for the natural gas we all used to stay warm.
This is our promise to you……If we are successful in obtaining favorable relief and mitigation on those storm prices after the fact, we will credit back to our customers any increases that we may have passed through to you. This seems to be the fairest way to respond to this situation and I think if you consider the circumstances you will agree with the way we have chosen to respond on behalf of our customers.
Last but not least, we appreciate your business and your support and understanding as we navigate a difficult time. If we can assist you in any way please let us know.
William J English
CEO & General Manager
Grey Forest Customers:
As you all know, our service area experienced unprecedented and historic cold weather that brought subfreezing temperatures ice and snow. Many of us were without power for an extended period of time. Some of us were without power and water. However, I’m pleased to say that none of you were without natural gas. Grey Forest employees and technicians many of whom were experiencing the same situations at their homes were working as hard as possible through the emergency conditions to ensure that everyone got gas and could use it for heating and cooking purposes where it was possible.
During the winter weather emergency, Power Utilities scrambled to acquire as much natural gas as possible to generate electricity statewide. The scramble by the power companies for additional gas for power generation across the state combined with the normal demand for gas from gas customers in a colder than normal span of time caused unusual short-term demand on short supplies of natural gas and gas pressure in the pipelines that serve our region. As a result of the demand for short supplies of gas, the price of gas is going to be high for the approximate period of February 13th through the 19th of February. For those who have called or emailed us, we don’t know what the final average price for the month of February 2021 is going to be. We will not know until the month ends.
We are working now to find out what resources are available from State and Federal agencies to lower the higher prices that will impact our customers. Information on that is very limited from State and Federal officials at this time. A disaster has been declared but nobody is telling anyone how that translates into help for our consumers. While those agencies sort that out, we are already working with our suppliers of the gas that was delivered to our customers to seek ways to mitigate those prices and to lessen the immediate impact on our customers. I ask that you please be patient and work with us as we move forward. We appreciate your business and consider it to be an honor to be your gas supplier.
Please check back in this area —because I will add updated information when I have it available.
Thank You
Jeff English
General Manager
GFU
23 February 2021
Operations during COVID-19
At GFU your health and safety is our priority.
GFU will be here for you as the COVID-19 virus impacts our daily life.
You will see our employees in our service areas. They will be practicing “social distancing”, while providing the support and service you depend on.
We are limiting access to our office building. All other services will be available, we will be operating as normally as possible.
Emergency phone calls will be answered 24/7 at 210-695-8781.
Some of our employees will be working remotely to answer your non-emergency call. When calling
210-695-8781 you will be asked to press one for a gas or water emergency.
For non-emergency calls you will be prompted to press two or zero to leave a voice mail and our customer service representatives will return your call as soon as possible between 8:30AM and 4:30PM.
Customer Service will be responding to emails sent to billing@gfugas.com between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM.
Billing
If your natural gas bill seems abnormally high, please take into account:
1. The Billing Cycle – how many days does your bill cover?
2. The temperature during the billing cycle – how cold was it during those days?
After considering the above factors and you still feel the bill is too high, contact us at (210) 695-8781.
The best way to reduce your bill is to use less fuel. These quick tips can help reduce your consumption of natural gas.
- Choose high efficiency appliances.
- Check for adequate insulation in your attic and walls.
- Check for and seal any air leaks around doors and windows.
- Regularly have your furnace cleaned and maintained by a professional.
- Changing the filters on your heating system regularly as well as having your burner cleaned and tuned up yearly will help it run more efficiently, therefore cutting down on the amount of fuel used. Some estimates show fuel savings to be as high as 15% or more.
- Set your thermostat down a few degrees, especially when you are away or asleep.
- Caulk and weather strip around pipes, ducts and vents.
- Insulate your water heater and hot water pipes.
- Set your water heater to 120°.
- Regularly drain sediment from your water heater.
- Take a shower rather than a bath.
- Repair leaking faucets that are supplying hot water.
- Install low-flow shower heads.
- Run dishwasher only when it is full.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Run full loads of laundry and shorten wash time.
- Dry loads of clothes back-to-back; dryers retain heat, therefore it will take less energy to dry subsequent loads.
- Keep lint filter and exhaust vent clean.
- Remember to turn-off kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans; it is estimated they can pull all the heated air out of your home in one hour.
- Keep your oven door closed, each time you open the oven the temperature can drop 25°.
- Choose a range with pilotless ignition.
- Defrost food completely before cooking it; this can save 30-50% on cooking costs.
Beginning in 2004 the Railroad Commission (RRC) of Texas established a surcharge to recover the costs of administering the pipeline safety and regulator program.
The fee will be billed only once a year.
Safety
Natural Gas has an excellent safety record and is among the most dependable sources of energy available.
Gas appliances require fresh air for safe and efficient operation. Therefore, gas appliances must be used in ventilated areas. Insufficient ventilation can cause an overabundance of carbon monoxide. It is important to consult a licensed plumber to ensure that ventilation is adequate.
Carbon monoxide, which is a highly poisonous gas, can be dispelled if there is insufficient ventilation or due to a faulty appliance. While it is odorless, it is accompanied by other emissions that may produce a “car exhaust” smell. The use of a carbon monoxide detector is recommended.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can produce the following symptoms:
- headaches
- nausea
- flushed (red) skin
- dizziness
- a false sense of well-being
- tiredness or a desire to sleep
- vomiting
Prolonged exposure or high levels of carbon monoxide may lead to collapse, loss of consciousness, or even death. If you suspect that you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide, move into clean air, seek immediate medical attention, and ventilate the room if it can be done safely.
Signs that an appliance is not working correctly, or that the flue is blocked, include:
- a yellow flame, rather than a blue flame
(Note: some “flame effect” heaters, however, are designed to burn safely with a
yellow flame, with minimum carbon monoxide emissions) - soot deposits in and around the appliance
- unpleasant, distinctive smell, similar to that of a car exhaust
Symptoms like dizziness and headaches should always be taken seriously while a gas appliance is in operation. Someone that is licensed to work with gas appliances (plumber or appliance repairman) must fix the problem.
Do not use gas appliances in small rooms or confined spaces (bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.) if they do not have proper ventilation. In small rooms, only room-sealed and balanced vent type appliances should be used and only under certain circumstances. Ask a licensed plumber for advice.
If you are planning any other kind of project that will require digging, call 811 or Dig Tess at 1-800-344-8377 any time, day or night, no less than 48 hours before digging, drilling or excavating begins to have buried natural gas, electrical, telephone, cable and other utility lines located and marked. This is the law. This service is provided at no cost to you, and it can save you time and money. It’s also the SAFE thing to do when digging around buried utility lines. If Dig Tess is not contacted and there is damage to utility lines you will be held financially responsible
Miscellaneous
Natural Gas is a colorless and odorless mixture of gases such as methane, ethane, propane and butane. Natural gas is produced by drilling into the Earth’s crust where pockets of natural gas were trapped hundreds of thousands of years ago. Once the gas is brought to the surface it is refined to remove impurities, such as water, sand and other gases. Then it is transmitted through large pipelines that span the continent. Distributors add an odorant to the gas as a safety measure helping people detect gas leaks or an appliance they forgot to turn off.
Besides being one of the cleanest burning fuels, natural gas remains the best overall value. Natural gas burns much cleaner than propane, which means lower maintenance costs and fewer repairs on your appliances. All energy prices have increased not just natural gas, the price of both electricity and propane have been on the rise as well. However, the prices of all fuels rise and fall over time and with its many obvious advantages, natural gas has proven to be the preferred energy choice by more than 65 million customers across the nation.
Natural gas is generally less expensive and more environmentally friendly (burns cleaner thus fewer emissions) than both propane and electricity.
Natural gas is America’s most popular home heating fuel because it is efficient, clean and reliable. In the United States, 52% of all heated homes have natural gas heat. Natural gas is increasingly popular for use in new home construction, businesses and electric generating facilities.
Demand for natural gas has increased even during the summer months. This is because summer is when the use of electricity increases and many electric power plants use natural gas. In fact, most new power plants are fueled exclusively by natural gas.
The change from propane to natural gas is quite easy, and does not require too much time or effort. These are steps that must be taken.
- First, call the office ((210) 695-8781) to ensure that we provide service to your area.
- A person from our team will come to your house and locate the lines and measure from those lines to the place the meter will be set.
- We will call within a few days to give you an estimate as to what it will take to get natural gas onto your property and how much it will cost.
- We will then run the lines and set the meter, the size of the meter will be determined by the number and requirements of gas appliances that will be used.
- We will connect the meter to the house pipe after the gas lines in the house have been checked by a licensed plumber. As a general rule, the lines that run propane through your house can be used for natural gas.
- A licensed plumber will turn on the meter after the house lines have been checked and your appliances are prepared to have natural gas run to them.
- Propane appliances must be converted to natural gas. This is not as difficult as it sounds. There is an orifice which attaches to appliances that your plumber can install for you. This is usually the only manner in which appliances must be altered in order to make the switch from propane to natural gas.
If your furnace has a pilot light and it was installed prior to 1992, its annual efficiency is probably less than 65%, perhaps less. Compare that to the least efficient furnaces available today which are rated at 80% (or 80 AFUE) and you can see that your old furnace is a prime candidate for replacement. Do not forget to consider the furnace electricity consumption as well. Some furnaces consume more electricity than a refrigerator just to power the furnace fan. Check out ACEEE’s recommendations for purchasing a new furnace for more information and tips.
Yes, the wire is supposed to be there. It is a tracer wire and allows the location and route of service to be tracked from the meter to the main. Please do not tamper with this wire.
Although the wire is sometimes mistaken for a loose ground wire connection, it’s actually a “tracer wire” that is installed next to a gas pipe when it is run underground from the gas main at the street to a house. Because many gas pipes today are plastic and not electronically traceable, the wire can be energized at a frequency that is recognized y a hand-held tracing tool to locate the path of the pipe. It is usually a #12 copper wire and we often see it wrapped loosely around the base of the gas supply pipe running up to the meter. Gas companies also typically mandate that a warning tape be buried above the gas line to warn anyone diffing there that an active gas line is below it. Both of these safety features are designed to help anyone diffing around gas service to a home to avoid inadvertently fracturing the pipe and causing a dangerous gas leak.