PG&E announced Tuesday afternoon that they are making progress in returning gas services to customers within the Town of Discovery Bay as quickly and as safe as possible.
According to PG&E, they have visited all homes and businesses affected by the outage at least once and has returned service to 90 percent of its customers. They said about 700 homes were inaccessible to their gas service representatives due to the owners not being available—many of the homes are vacation homes and may be unoccupied during the outage.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 150 PG&E employees remain in the area and were performing second attempts—in some cases a third attempt—to get access from remaining customers to return them to service. They had been going door-to-door since Monday.
If customers without gas service want to schedule a restoration visit, they may call 1-800-743-5000 as more than 200 PG&E employees have been dispatched to the area to conduct safety checks and restore customers service.
Monday morning, PG&E representatives began going door to door to conduct pilot relights and continued to do so throughout Monday. Gas leak surveys continue to be conducted using state-of-the-art gas-sniffing vehicles.
PG&E stated that the outage actually began around 1:00 am Sunday after Gas Control Center operators in San Ramon noticed a loss in pressure and reacted quickly by dispatching personnel to assess the situation. Due to the problem, they had to shut off gas for repairs around 9:30 am which impacted 6,200 customers.
What PG&E is doing
- PG&E employees always carry their identification and are always willing to show it to you. Customers should always ask to see valid identification before allowing anyone claiming to be a PG&E representative inside their home.
- If a person claiming to be a PG&E employee has identification and you still feel uncomfortable, call PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-743-5000<tel:1-800-743-5000> to verify PG&E’s presence in the community.
Gas Safety Tips
- If you smell gas, get everyone outside immediately to a location upwind where you no longer can smell natural gas, and call 911 immediately, then call PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
- Do not use electrical switches, appliances or telephones, because sparks can ignite gas. Do not check for a gas leak with a match or an open flame.
- If you are able to do so safely, shut off the gas at the main service valve using a 12- to 15-inch adjustable pipe or crescent-type wrench or other suitable tool. The valve is normally located near your gas meter. If you shut off the gas, do not attempt to turn it back on yourself.
- To report a gas outage, please call 1-800-743-5002. When you call, tell us if you’d like to receive restoration updates by text or automated call.
Cold Weather Safety Tips for Customers without Gas Service
- Do not heat your home with a barbeque, charcoal, propane heater, or any other method that releases carbon monoxide in your home.
- When using the fireplace to stay warm, make sure the flue is open so that the byproducts of combustion can vent safely through the chimney.
- Dress warmly and in layers, including a hat and gloves.
- Warm yourself with blankets and warm fluids such as hot cider, hot cocoa and soup.
