PG&E Offers Safety Tips for Customers on Home Heating and Carbon Monoxide
December 13 2021 - 2:07PM
Business Wire
Silence isn't always golden, especially when it
comes to carbon monoxide poisoning
Cold winter weather has arrived in California and Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E) urges customers to be aware of the
dangers of carbon monoxide. Every year, approximately 430 people
die in the U.S. from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and
approximately 50,000 people visit the emergency room.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas
produced by the burning of fossil fuels and wood. In general,
properly installed and maintained natural gas appliances produce
very little to no carbon monoxide. However, if unsafe
concentrations of carbon monoxide are not detected, the result can
be fatal.
PG&E reminds customers to make sure their natural gas
furnaces and appliances are in working order. Customers should
inspect the flame on gas appliances. A blue flame indicates
complete combustion and that the appliance is working properly. A
lazy, yellow or white flame is a warning sign that the appliance is
not burning properly and could be producing carbon monoxide.
If customers suspect a problem with a natural gas appliance in
their home, they should call PG&E immediately at
1-800-743-5000. A gas service representative will be dispatched to
do a thorough inspection.
To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, PG&E offers the
following safety tips:
- Install a carbon monoxide detector, which will warn you when
concentrations become dangerously high. California law requires
owners of all single-family homes with an attached garage or a
fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide detectors within the
home. Owners of multi-family dwellings must comply by Jan. 1,
2013.
- Place detectors near sleeping areas, where they can wake you if
you are asleep.
- Never use products inside the home that generate dangerous
levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators, barbecues, propane
heaters and charcoal.
- 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.
- Ensure that generators are properly installed and operated
outdoors. For more generator safety tips, visit
www.pge.com/generator.
- Do not idle cars inside the garage, and do not allow snow to
block tailpipe emissions when operating a vehicle outdoors.
- Make sure water heaters and other natural gas appliances have
proper ventilation. Older appliances and room heaters that are not
vented externally should be inspected annually.
- As part of customers' gas service, PG&E representatives are
available to inspect gas appliances and make sure they are working
safely. To schedule an inspection, customers can visit the "My
Energy" feature at www.pge.com or call 1-800-743-5000.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches,
drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and convulsions. Because carbon
monoxide is hard to detect, someone with mild poisoning can go to
sleep and continue to breathe the carbon monoxide until severe
illness or death occurs. People may also mistake their symptoms for
a viral infection like the flu.
For more ways to stay safe this holiday season, visit
www.pge.com/safety.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central California. For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211213005833/en/
MEDIA RELATIONS: 415-973-5930
PG&E (NYSE:PCG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
PG&E (NYSE:PCG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024