CITY OF GALION UTILITY OFFICE NEWSLETTER
11/01/2014
of Galion until 12:00 p.m. Please call Alan at 419-5715006 or Tammy at 470-751-2502 if your donation is not
collected by 11:00 a.m. Your contribution will used to
stock the Ohio Heartland Community Action food
pantry. The pantry provides emergency food to low
income Galion residents.
Now open on Wednesday afternoon
The Utility Office is pleased to announce that we are
now open Wednesday afternoon to better serve our
customers. The long awaited change will benefit our
customers in giving them additional time to transact
their utility payments, requests for services and
general interaction with our office. Our office hours
are now Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thank you in advance for your generous contribution
to this greatly needed food drive.
Winter heating bill assistance
The City of Galion, in partnership with Ohio Heartland
Community Action Commission, is announcing the
2014-2015 WINTER CRISIS PROGRAM (WCP). Last year
the partnership assisted almost 300 City of Galion
utility customers in providing funding to meet their
winter electric heating costs.
Electric Rates
The Galion City Council is currently considering new
electric rates for city electricity customers. If you
would like to know how the new rates may effect
your monthly energy cost, please stop by or call the
office. We can calculate what your electric cost will
be, based on the rates being considered.
The Winter Crisis Program (HEAP) is a heating
assistance program that may provide a one-time
payment toward a utility and/or bulk fuel service for
those meeting the program eligibility requirements.
The program begins November 1, 2014, and runs
through March 31, 2015. Appointments can be made
by calling the automated appointment line at 1-866861-6421.
The policy is as follows:
(1) electric or gas customers must be in
a shut off situation
(2) bulk fuel, wood, coal or heating oil customers must
have less than 25% of the fuel source on hand.
The annual Boy Scout Food Drive is scheduled for
Saturday, November 15, 2014. Please place any nonperishable food or taxable items, (paper goods, soap,
toothpaste, etc.), you may wish to donate on your
porch by 9:00 a.m. The Boy Scouts will canvass the City
Walk-In customers will be served daily on a limited first
come first serve basis. Please be prepared to wait for
assistance.
The PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS are as follows. The
applicant must have:
CITY OF GALION UTILITY OFFICE NEWSLETTER
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A Utility service that is currently off or in
disconnection status for the gas and/or electric
service
A utility service that needs started OR,
25% or less supply of bulk fuel (propane, fuel oil,
wood, coal) AND,
Eligible applicant’s total household income must
be AT or below 175% of the 2014 Federal Poverty
level.
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11/01/2014
Should a pipe freeze, never thaw it with an
open flame. Use a hair dryer, heat lamps or
space heaters.
Weathering the Storm
Winterizing your water pipes
While the topic of cold weather preparations is one we
often do not look forward to, the expense and
inconvenience that can result from frozen pipes is one
we hope to help you avoid. While we remember last
year’s cold, harsh winter, knowing how to prevent
problems
can
therefore
be
important.
Before the Cold Hits:
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Locate your water shutoff valve now and
confirm that it turns easily; don’t wait until an
emergency to find out. In our area, often the
shutoff valve is next to the water meter.
Insulate plumbing (hot water pipes too) in
unheated areas such as crawl spaces, garages
and outdoors.
During Freezing Weather:
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Heat all rooms with plumbing fixtures,
particularly those with plumbing on outside
walls. Open cabinet doors under sinks to let
heat in. If placing light bulbs in vulnerable
areas, make sure they are not near
combustibles.
Keeping a trickle of water running during
extremely cold times can help prevent pipes
from freezing. This is most effective with
faucets that are farthest from the point where
the main water line enters the house, or on
outside walls.
When ice and heavy snow bring down limbs and power
lines, safety is a consideration indoors and out. Make
sure you know how to weather the storm.
 When outside, stay away from downed power lines:
 A power line does not need to be sparking or arcing
to be energized. Equipment near power lines can
also be energized and dangerous.
 Lines that appear to be “dead” can become
energized as crews work to restore power, or
sometimes from improper use of emergency
generators. Assume all low and downed lines are
energized and dangerous. If you see a downed or
sagging line, contact the electric line department at
419.468.5220.
 Motorists should never drive over a downed line as
snagging a line could pull down a pole or other
equipment and cause other hazards.
 Be careful approaching intersections where traffic or
crossing lights may be out.
 If you plan to use a generator, know how to operate
it safely
 Before a winter storm, you should have supplies
on hand, and know how to stay warm.
 When power goes out, it often comes back in spikes.
This can damage electronics. Keep your electronics
safe by unplugging them when the power goes out.
Leave one lamp or switch on as a signal for when
your power returns.
 When using an alternate heat source, follow
operating instructions, use fire safeguards and be
sure to properly ventilate.