January 29, 2001
rapidly rising natural gas prices may have on vulnerable families,
Enbridge Inc. announced today that the company will be making
Energy Saving Kits available free of charge to Ontario residents
to help them manage their energy use more cost-effectively.
Natural gas prices have increased by as much as 63% in the past
six months. "As a regulated distributor of natural gas, we are
required to charge our customers what we pay our suppliers for
natural gas," says Stephen Letwin, Group Vice President, Energy,
Distribution & Service, Enbridge Inc. "We are committed to easing
the strain these rising costs are placing on our customers. For
example, we have not increased our charge for gas delivery and
will do our utmost to keep delivery charges at a minimum in the
future."
Other initiatives Enbridge has taken include the introduction of a
fixed price contract option to help protect against further price
increases during the period of the contract and to make it easier
to budget for energy costs.
The free Energy Saving Kit contains coupons to make two important
energy-efficient products more affordable. A $15 rebate will be
given on the purchase of any programmable thermostat while a $100
rebate is included for those switching or up-grading to a
high-efficiency natural gas home heating system. The kit also
includes samples of items that can be used in every home to
identify and eliminate some unexpected sources of cold air that
can lead to higher gas consumption. The kit also contains a
number of useful tips on how to keep homes as energy efficient as
possible.
The company has also increased its commitment to Share The Warmth,
a homeless prevention charity dedicated to using 100% of all
donations to purchase heat and energy for low-income families and
front-line relief agencies. Enbridge and its employees are
stepping up sponsorship of Share The Warmth, raising funds through
the sale of hats, gloves and scarves within the organization.
Donation boxes for Share The Warmth will also be located at all
Enbridge Home Service stores to encourage public participation.
Energy saving tips and information about obtaining the free Energy
Saving Kit are available on www.ecg.enbridge.com.
Enbridge Inc. is a leader in energy transportation, distribution
and services. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge Consumers Gas
owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas distribution
company, which provides gas in Ontario, Quebec and New York State.
In addition, Enbridge provides retail energy products and services
to a growing number of Canadian and U.S. markets. As a
transporter of energy, Enbridge Pipelines operates, in Canada and
the U.S., the world's longest crude oil and liquids system. The
Company is also involved in liquids marketing and international
energy projects, and has a growing involvement in the natural gas
midstream and transmission businesses. The company employs
approximately 5,500 people, primarily in Canada, the U.S. and
Latin America. Information about Enbridge is available on the
Company's web site at www.enbridge.com.