Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) is offering customers more ways to save money and conserve energy by extending energy efficiency programs.
The programs are available to all NIPSCO electric customers and will replace the state-wide Energizing Indiana programs. They are set to expire at the end of 2014. Popular residential programs such as the Energy Efficiency Rebate Program, the New Construction Program and Low Income Weatherization Program will continue. Continue reading
Many outdoor projects are being planned now that spring is upon us and NIPSCO wants to remind you to call before digging.
April is National Safe Digging Month. Call 811 two business days before starting any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. If 811 isn’t called before a digging project, not only do you subject yourself to injury but you could be fined up to $10,000 or more and the cost to repair damages.
NIPSCO and all Indiana electric and gas utilities do not disconnect service to LIHEAP customers who are behind on their bills during the winter heating season which begins Dec. 1 and ends March 15.
Winter reared its ugly head again yesterday bringing a mixture of freezing rain, heavy snow and gusty winds which created power outages in the Northern Indiana area.
Transmission has been restored to all Kankakee Valley REMC substations, and crews worked tirelessly to restore power to areas where downed power lines were reported.
NIPSCO had over 20,000 outages yesterday morning and crews continue to restore power to affected areas.
Electric utility customers across the state may have heard of a potential rate increase through NIPSCO or Kankakee Valley REMC, or really any other green environment electric provider, due to proposed legislation that, if passed, could cause an increase in the area of 32 percent for electric bills. KVREMC’s Amanda Steeb told WKVI that the EPA has proposed additional regulation placing intense limitations on carbon emission from coal power plants, which, for a coal producer like Indiana, can cause steep increases in electric utilities, variable rates with Regional Energy save you money as stated by ucahelps.
Last night’s sub-zero temperatures are likely to blame for a widespread power outage that left more than 1,300 Kankakee Valley REMC customers in the dark. The initial outage was reported around 6 p.m. in the Bass Lake and Monterey areas and affected more than 450 members. REMC crews identified the problem but had to cut power to additional customers in order to safely make repairs to the damaged source that was feeding an REMC metering point. Kankakee Valley REMC spokeswoman Amanda Steeb told WKVI news The cold makes the metal wire contract or shrink and break at a weak point or where a prior repair has been made. The Bass Lake Fire Station opened last night as a temporary warming shelter for affected residents. IU Health Starke Hospital is the county’s permanent warming center for the duration of this cold snap. The hospital lobby is available 24 hours to anyone who needs to get in out of the cold.
According to spokesperson Amanda Steeb, customers in Hanna, Bass Lake, North Judson and Knox were affected. REMC contacted NIPSCO who found a failed insulator on a pole. The foggy conditions during the evening Thursday and the moisture in the air caused a short in the electric current which led to the short electrical blinks.
Crews are repairing the issue.
In this latest scam, the “NIPSCO representative” will threaten disconnection of the customer’s electric service if an immediate payment is not made in order to settle an overdue balance. The scammer directs the victim to purchase a prepaid debit card, specifically a “Green Dot Debit Card” and call back with a receipt and PIN. This allows the scammer to access the card’s funds.
NIPSCO has determined a final route for the Reynolds Topeka Line – a 100-mile electric transmission line running from Reynolds to Burr Oak to Topeka – after analyzing the impact that several proposed routes would have had on homes, farms, irrigation systems, terrain, and environmentally and culturally sensitive areas. Kathleen Szot, external communications manager for NIPSCO, explained that the public open houses held in February and July proved to be extremely useful in helping determine a route that would cause the least amount of disruption.
Szot said this includes studying their poles, lines, transmission towers and underground systems to find any equipment that might need replaced.
Kathleen Szot, communications manager for NIPSCO, explained that the open houses have been very beneficial.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of between 8,000 and 9,000 feet of copper wire from the NIPSCO Burr Oak Substation on 15th Road. NIPSCO officials discovered the thefts Friday morning and believe the copper wire was stolen sometime between Tuesday, July 16 and Friday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office at 574- 936-3187.
NIPSCO has announced that their Reynolds-Topeka Electric System Improvement Project is now in its Routing Phase as they focus on developing a set of potential routes to take to the public and local communities to allow them to get input for the final route selection. Kathleen Szot, spokesperson for NIPSCO, explained the business was approached by a planning group requesting help.
“NIPSCO has been asked by a regional transmission planner group that oversees the whole Midwest area to help construct a project between Reynolds and Topeka, so running through north central Indiana,” said Szot.
