INDIANAPOLIS — Citizens Energy Group will be sending customers a smelly surprise this month.
The company said customers will get an envelope containing a scratch-n-sniff card with a "natural gas smell" between early December and mid-January.
The cards will be scented with mercaptan, the odorant used as an additive in natural gas utility lines to make it detectable by human smell. The special delivery will also include safety information on how to identify natural gas leaks and what to do if a leak is identified.
"We are serious about giving our customers, their families, and their neighborhoods all the needed tools for identifying and responding to natural gas leaks," said J.P. Ghio, Vice President of Energy Operations at Citizens Energy Group. "The scratch-n-sniff card program is a helpful way to safely get familiar with the odor of mercaptan, often described as a rotten egg or sulfur smell. Natural gas leaks can be dangerous if they are ignored, but sharing this card with others can significantly increase awareness and help keep our community safe."
Citizens said the smelly card may be included with the customer's standard utility bill or as a separate mailing.
Those who believe they have detected a natural gas leak should immediately leave the premises. Citizens customers should call the Contact Center at 317-924-3311 to report a potential leak, even after business hours. Crews will respond to all calls of a potential natural gas leak at no cost to the individual customer reporting the potential leak.
