Union Protests Gas Rate Hike to Raise Outsourcing Issue

It looks like Washington Gas has already started charging Virginia customers for a rate increase that hasn't even been approved by the Commonwealth.

The company, which provides natural gas to nearly 1 million customers in Maryland, Virginia and the District, has not asked for a rate increase since 2003. "There has been inflation, additional compliance-related expenses, including Sarbanes-Oxley and the Pipeline Safety Act, and a decline in natural gas use by customers. Those are really our reasons for a rate increase," said Jan Davis, a company spokeswoman. Customers in Virginia may notice a slight increase in their bills starting this week, but if Virginia regulators reject the proposed increase, customers will receive a refund.

How arrogant does Washington Gas think they are? They're cutting costs and outsourcing major internal units and still asking for more money from their customers. So I am also glad to see Dan Dyer, OPEIU's Local 2 president, stand up to Washington Gas and intervene in its rate cases.

All Virginia customers of Washington Gas should call the company today and demand that their money be refunded immediately. If the company does not refund our money now, then it should then return our money with interest if and when their rate hike is denied.

Washington Gas does not have our best interests in mind. The company only focuses on making money and rewarding its shareholders while shafting their employees and putting their customers in danger.

Washington Gas Parent Company Named Among the Top 100 U.S. Corporate Citizens for 4th Consecutive Year

Is this a joke that WGL Holdings was named one of the 100 best U.S. Corporate Citizens for the fourth year in a row?

"We enjoy a long-standing tradition of responsible corporate citizenship, built on our vision of achieving excellence for customers, investors and employees; civic responsibility; and priority setting for today and tomorrow," said James H. DeGraffenreidt Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of WGL Holdings. "When others notice our dedication to our vision, it underscores our beliefs."

You'll notice the order of importance WGL Holdings CEO James DeGraffenreidt gives his employees. They're dead last behind customers and investors. It's hard to believe a company striving to line the pockets of its shareholders on the backs of their employees by outsourcing their jobs and cutting costs so much as to make it hard or near impossible to ensure the safety of their distribution system.

Business Ethics said the companies were ranked on performance in eight stakeholder categories: shareholders, community, governance, diversity, employees, environment, human rights, and product.

You'll also notice WGL Holdings mentions shareholders before community and employees... I am also surprised to see Business Ethics name WGL Holdings on their list, since the WGL Holdings has not split their Chairman of the Board and CEO positions. I personally believe the company would be more ethical and act in the best interests of its employees and customers if the Chairman of the Board and CEO were two different people. I hope this year's shareholder referendum gains more steam, or see if the majority owners of WGL Holdings, investment company's, try to ensure their profits.

Community group opposes rate-hike request by Washington Gas

I'm glad organizations are starting to unite to oppose Washington Gas's greed and mismanagement. Why does the company need to increase rates when it's outsourcing most of its internal functions to cut costs. I don't see why the company needs to increase rates when they are lowering operating costs, other than to line their shareholder's pockets on the backs of their customers.

A community coalition led by the union representing almost 300 workers at Washington Gas has filed to intervene in a rate-increase request.

The coalition, led by the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 2, based in Silver Spring, is opposing a request by Washington Gas for a 7.7 percent rate increase from the D.C. Public Service Commission.

Washington Gas is a unit of D.C.-based WGL Holdings (NYSE: WGL).

The coalition is expected to include members such as Casa de Maryland and several labor unions. It is taking out ads in The Washington Post and elsewhere to get its message across.

"We are disgusted and outraged that Washington Gas ... now wants to raise rates on the backs of local customers and their own workers," says Dan Dyer, president of the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 2, in a statement. "We think this is a major safety issue for the general public."

Washington Gas officials couldn't be reached for immediate comment.

Rates in the District have not increased since 2003, the company says. If approved, the higher rates are expected to be implemented Oct. 1. Washington Gas serves about 1 million customers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. About 150,000 of its customers live in the District.

Gas Service Restored in Potomac Neighborhood

WJLA reported that heavy customer demand caused a mechanical failure leaving 660 Washington Gas customers without service.

Hundreds of Potomac residents have natural gas service again following a mechanical problem that disrupted their service.

The problem occurred Tuesday near River Road when problems linked to heavy service demand temporarily left about 660 customers without service.

Washington Gas crews were able to restore pressure to the line by 3:10 a.m., but each of the homes affected by the outage had to be visited by technicians so pilot lights could be reignited.

By seven a.m., about 400 residents had been contacted by technicians.

When it's cold and you need natural gas the most, the system fails due to heavy use... It's crazy to think heavy service demand was the reason behind the service disruption. Potomac residents are too wealthy and influential to let another PG County debacle occur in their neighborhood. We'll see if other parts of the system stat to fail in Maryland.

Woman Killed in Fire Was Without Utilities

In a Washington Post article authored by Keith L. Alexander highlights how an elderly woman died because her utilities were shutoff.

She was known by many on her block as Ms. Bessie or as the Cat Lady because she loved to feed the stray cats in the neighborhood.

Now, many neighbors of Bessie D. Sanders, 65, are lamenting a tragedy that could have been prevented. Sanders was killed Jan. 17 when her two-story brick rowhouse in the 900 block of Delafield Place NW caught fire. Investigators said the blaze was started by a candle that Sanders kept burning in her bedroom. She used candles because her utilities -- electricity, gas and water -- had been shut off months ago for lack of payment, authorities said.

How can we allow our elderly and impoverished to die because they cannot afford basic services to survive? Is the greed and need for shareholder return too great to realize the value of individual lives?