Gas Consumers Get All-Clear

26 February 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gas Consumers Get All-Clear

Contact Energy this afternoon thanked its customers for their swift action to conserve natural gas during emergency pipeline repairs by the Natural Gas Corporation.

“Contact has been advised by the Natural Gas Corporation that its broken pipeline, which affected gas supply to the lower North Island overnight and this morning, has been repaired and that normal gas reticulation has been restored to all affected areas,” Contact’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, David Hunt, said.

Affected regions were Wellington, Kapiti-Horowhenua, the Manawatu, and Hawke’s Bay.

Contact, along with all other gas retailers in the affected areas, advised large customers to stop using gas immediately and small consumers, including households, were urged to cease using their gas appliances or reduce consumption as much as possible.

“The response was immediate and tremendous to a situation which occurred due to circumstances beyond Contact’s control ,” said Mr Hunt. “Gas consumption fell substantially during the approximately 22 hours that this incident lasted, with the co-operation of major gas users being the key component in this response.

“Contact wishes to thank all its customers who responded so quickly to the appeal to reduce gas consumption.

“This helped to avert a potentially far more serious situation, had the Natural Gas Corporation taken longer to conduct repairs, and remaining gas in the system been exhausted,” Mr Hunt said.

ENDS

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