THE NATURAL GAS STORE OPENS IN ASHEVILLE

FALL
2015
THE NATURAL GAS STORE OPENS IN ASHEVILLE • CURL UP BY THE FIRE • GREEN TIPS
A
s we approach the fall, I can’t help but think
how close we are to bringing this year to a
close. Many of the things I enjoy about this
time of year — college football, the crisp coolness of
the air we’ll have in a few months, Thanksgiving with
friends and family — seem to make the time go by
The Natural Gas Store
opens in Asheville
I
f you’re shopping for natural gas products in the
Asheville area, make our new store at 422 Airport
Road in Arden your first stop. The Natural Gas Store,
our third in North Carolina, sells products ranging from
gas grills to logs to water heaters and more.
even faster.
Then we look to a new year, new resolutions and
the cooler weather. As you plan for the year ahead,
consider helping someone in need by supporting
The Salvation Army Heat Care Fund or cleaning
out your coat closet and donating a few unused
outerwear items to a local shelter.
This issue of Comforts of Home is filled with useful
information and tips you can use. Take a minute to
look over the section on how to be more ‘green’ and
find simple ways to increase the energy efficiency
of your house. And consider getting some great
use out of your grill by testing the Grilled Coffee &
Cola Skirt Steak recipe we think you’ll enjoy. We’ve
also included some safety information and account
management details that are always good to revisit a
few times a year.
I hope you enjoy these last months of 2015. I look
forward to reconnecting with you next spring via our
next issue of Comforts of Home. ■
The Natural Gas Store offers a much more positive
shopping experience than the big box stores. You can
check out all the great features of our quality natural gas
appliances in a showroom designed to help you visualize
the product in your own home.
Look for our other The Natural Gas Store locations in
Kannapolis, 6001 Gateway Center Drive, and Raleigh,
3516 Spring Forest Road.
Want to talk to someone before you visit? Call one of the
numbers below. ■
Kannapolis 704-783-3932
Raleigh 919-501-7660
Asheville 828-667-6146
Check out the
PSNC Energy
Facebook page
Rusty Harris
President and Chief Operating Officer
PSNC Energy
You’ll find money-saving
facebook.com/psncenergy
energy tips and delicious
recipes, as well as information about the benefits of
using natural gas products and services in your home.
Your
choice
Y
ou have lots of options when it comes to managing your account and natural gas service. Here are just a few to know about.
Best of all, most options are right at your fingertips at psncenergy.com. Check out all that’s available to you today!
Manage your Log in to your account to view and pay your bill, set up automatic payments,
account online go paperless, analyze your energy usage, get energy-saving tips and much more.
Start/Stop/Move service We make it easy for you to start, stop or move your service to another address.
Smartphone
bill pay
Use your smartphone to make a payment. You can also sign up to get payment reminders sent to your smartphone.
Budget Billing Make your PSNC Energy bills more predictable by paying the same amount each month.
eDraft Never forget a payment again. Create a recurring automatic monthly bank draft payment from your checking or savings account.
Request an
in-home energy audit
Have an audit technician come to your home to help you find ways to save energy. ■
You choose how to manage your account and pay your bill.
Online Mail Mobile Phone Email IVR
Authorized Location Curl up
by
the
fire
Share the warmth
F
N
othing beats the comfort and convenience of natural gas
logs. They give you all the warmth and ambiance of a
real wood fire without all the hassles. Plus, when winter
weather causes electrical outages, your natural gas logs will keep
you warm.
PSNC Energy sells and installs a wide variety of natural gas logs.
Here are four convenient ways to learn more about the perfect
gas logs for you.
Watch You can view videos of some of our most popular models
on YouTube. Just search for PSNCEnergyVideos.
Shop Shop our full line of natural gas logs at
psncenergy.com/logs.
Visit Check out our gas logs in person at The Natural Gas
Store in Kannapolis, Raleigh and Asheville, or at one of our 10 product showrooms in North Carolina. Go to psncenergy.com/showrooms for locations and phone numbers.
Talk Call 1-866-877-2217 to speak to one of our
natural gas experts. ■
or more than 30 years, PSNC Energy
has sponsored The Salvation Army Heat
Care Fund. You have the opportunity to
help us keep others warm this winter by electing
to have a Heat Care Fund contribution added as
part of your monthly bill.
Your contribution will provide direct assistance
to those struggling to pay their heating bill,
regardless of the type of fuel they use. A Heat
Care Fund contribution form is available at
psncenergy.com/heatcare. All donations are
tax deductible.
PSNC Energy also supports those in need
with its Energy Assistance and Third-Party
Notification programs. Through Energy
Assistance, income-eligible customers can
inquire about financial assistance for their
heating bills via local/community service
agencies. Third-Party Notification notifies
a family member, friend or neighbor if a
customer's bill is not paid.
Visit psncenergy.com/assist to learn more
about how we can help if you or someone you
know needs assistance. ■
Purchase your logs before November 30, 2015 and get 0% financing for 12 months.
Paying it
forward
P
SNC Energy’s commitment to our
customers includes being a good
neighbor and making a difference in
the lives of the customers we serve.
Through our Signature Events program,
the company and our employees
volunteer time and donate money and
resources to a variety of organizations
in North Carolina. Each year, employees
at locations across the company choose
an organization to support. ■
Charities and Organizations
that benefited from employee efforts
in 2014 and 2015.
Community Run for the Money
Benefits more than 100 nonprofit organizations in
Gaston County.
• Employees raised $3,500+ and worked March of Dimes “March for Babies”
• 40 employees participated in the walk
to raise awareness of preventing
birth defects in babies.
almost 200 volunteer hours
•
Rainbow Kidz Ride & Run
Angel Bowl
Benefits Hospice of Iredell County.
Benefits Holy Angels of North Carolina,
which provides specialized care for children
and adults with developmental disabilities.
• $2,000 in contributions
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Jerry Groves Drive for a Cure, named for former
PSNC Energy employee Jerry Groves, who lost his
battle with leukemia in 2006.
• 230 employees participated
• $8,000+ in contributions
Relay For Life
Benefits the American Cancer Society by helping
communities fight back against cancer.
• $2,000 in contributions
$19,000 in contributions
• 95 employees, friends and family
members participated
•
$9,000 in contributions
Meals on Wheels
•
44 employees delivered hot meals
to the elderly homebound for a total of
176 volunteer hours
•
$2,000 in contributions
Change 5 lights
Replacing the conventional bulbs in your
five most frequently used light fixtures with
compact fluorescent bulbs can reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and save $30 to $60
per year in energy costs.
Green
tips
High-efficiency toilet
Pre-1994 toilets use nearly seven gallons of water
with every flush. High-efficiency models now use
less than 1.6 gallons per flush.
for home & on the go
Clean green
Protect yourself and the environment from
toxic fumes and unnecessary chemicals by
using cleaning products that are nontoxic
and biodegradable.
Use natural gas
Using natural gas rather than charcoal reduces
CO2 emissions by more than 25 percent.
Fix the drip
A dripping faucet can waste up to 20 gallons
of water a day.
Drive green
Under-inflation of tires increases tire wear,
reduces fuel economy by up to three percent
and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
Eat locally
Food grown locally does not travel the
typical 1,500 miles to get to your plate. ■
Suspect a gas leak?
Know what not to do.
Know your
numbers?
Knowing how to read your natural gas
meter is a great way to keep tabs on
your energy usage.
Learn how at psncenergy.com/meter.
• Do not try to turn natural gas valves on or off.
• Do not turn any electric switch on or off; this could
cause a spark and ignite the gas.
• Do not use your telephone, cellphone, garage door opener
or flashlight.
• Do not smoke, use a lighter or strike a match.
• Do not start or stop nearby vehicles, machinery
or other things that may spark.
If you ever suspect a leak or smell natural gas in your home, do
leave the area immediately and, from a safe place, call 911 and
PSNC Energy at 1-877-776-2427. For more gas safety tips,
go to psncenergy.com/safety. ■
Grilled Coffee &
Cola Skirt Steak
Tired of grilling steak the same old way?
Try this unique marinade for beef skirt steak.
Ingredients
2
1
1/2 c 1/4 c 2 Tbsp
1-1/2 tsp 1 tsp
1 tsp
1/4 tsp 1
1 pinch large cloves garlic, minced
(12 oz) can/bottle cola-flavored carb. bev.
freshly brewed strong coffee
rice vinegar
ketchup
freshly ground black pepper
salt
crushed dried rosemary Louisiana-style hot sauce, or to taste
(1-1/4 lb) beef skirt steak — trimmed of
lg. fat chunks
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
Source: allrecipes.com Directions
1. Place garlic into a nonreactive bowl and whisk in cola, coffee, rice vinegar, ketchup, black pepper,
salt, rosemary and hot sauce until thoroughly combined.
2. Unroll the skirt steak and cut into 6-inch lengths with the grain, using kitchen scissors. Submerge the meat totally in the marinade; place a piece of plastic wrap onto meat and marinade surface. Marinate 8 to 12 hours (or overnight) in refrigerator.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
4. Remove meat from marinade; save the marinade. Pat meat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides of meat with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
5. Pour marinade into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about
10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
6. Grill meat on the preheated grill until steak pieces are still pink inside and meat has good grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Place thin cooked pieces onto thicker pieces of meat to prevent thin ones
from overcooking. When the surface of the meat looks shiny and wet from juices being forced up
to the surface, the meat is medium-rare to medium in doneness. An instant-read meat thermometer
inserted into the center of a piece should read 125 to 130 degrees F (52 to 54 degrees C).
7. Remove meat to a platter and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain to
serve. Drizzle servings with reduced coffee-cola marinade. ■
Have a recipe you would like to share with other natural gas cooks?
Share on our Facebook page at facebook.com/psncenergy.
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
COLUMBIA, SC
PERMIT #71
FALL
2015
RAL
THE NATU
E
GAS STOR
OPENS
VILLE
IN ASHE
N
FIRE • GREE
UP BY THE
• CURL
TIPS
SEND STORY IDEAS AND COMMENTS TO: Comforts of Home, Mail Code B234, SCANA Corporation, 220 Operation Way, Cayce, S.C. 29033-3701;
email [email protected] ; visit our website at psncenergy.com ; or call 1-877-776-2427.
©2015 All rights reserved. Comforts of Home is published by PSNC Energy, a SCANA Company.
PSNC Energy appliance sales, installation, maintenance and repair are not part of the regulated services offered by PSNC Energy and
are not in any way sanctioned by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. There is no advantage to customers of PSNC Energy
if they buy these products or services from PSNC Energy. A customer does not have to buy such products or services in order to continue
to receive the same safe and reliable natural gas service from PSNC Energy.