Piedmont Natural Gas reminds communities if they "smell natural gas, get out fast!"

• In recognition of National Fire Prevention week, Piedmont Natural Gas is educating communities on how to recognize a natural gas leak and what to do if one is suspected
• An odorant called mercaptan is injected into natural gas, giving it a distinctive smell so it is easy to detect, to help keep customers and communities safe

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas is reminding communities that if you or someone you know smells natural gas, get out fast! as part of National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9-15).

National Fire Prevention Week is dedicated to educating the public on simple but important actions individuals can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires. As part of this campaign, Piedmont is sharing how to recognize a natural gas leak and what to do if one is suspected.

Train your nose
Natural gas by itself has no smell. An odorant called mercaptan is injected into natural gas, giving it the distinctive smell of rotten eggs. The odor makes natural gas easy to detect and can alert the public of a natural gas leak and help avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

"Foul odors often serve as a warning sign something is wrong, and mercaptan's unmistakable rotten egg smell is no different," said Sasha Weintraub, senior vice president and president of Piedmont Natural Gas. "Knowing the signs of a natural gas leak is the first line of defense to help keep our customers and communities safe."

To learn more about mercaptan and it's role in natural gas safety, watch this video. 

Steps to take if you suspect a leak
If a natural gas odor is detected, follow these steps:

• Leave the area immediately.
• Call Piedmont at 800.752.7504 or call 911 from a neighbor's house or somewhere away from the smell of natural gas.

In addition to having a distinct smell, natural gas leaks are often visual, causing bubbling water, blowing dirt or dead plants. You may also see sinkholes or exposed pipe. It's also possible to hear a hissing sound near a natural gas line or meter. 

For additional information about natural gas safety, visit the Piedmont Natural Gas website.  

Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes natural gas to more than 1.1 million residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Piedmont is routinely recognized by J.D. Power for excellent customer satisfaction, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S. More information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont Natural Gas: Twitter, Facebook.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas