Columbia Gas of Kentucky customers help plant 9,330 trees
4/27/2010 1:28:30 PM
LEXINGTON, Ky. – April 27, 2010 – A ceremonial check for $9,330 was presented today to the Kentucky Chapter of The Nature Conservancy by officials from Columbia Gas of Kentucky. The symbolic check used was made of 100% recycled materials and imbedded with wildflower seeds. The donation commemorated the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and marked the end of Columbia’s recent initiative to encourage customers to switch to paperless billing and raise awareness for The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees program to rebuild the Atlantic Forest.
In January, Columbia Gas of Kentucky and its parent company, NiSource, launched a campaign to encourage customers to switch from standard paper bills to electronic bills. For every customer who enrolled in Columbia’s Direct e-Bill paperless billing service between January 1 and April 1, 2010, NiSource and Columbia contributed $10 to The Nature Conservancy for the Plant A Billion Trees program. At a dollar per tree, the contribution amounted to ten trees per customer who enrolled in the company’s Direct e-Bill plan. Overall, the nine NiSource local utilities have contributed to help plant more than 190,000 trees as part of the paperless billing promotion.
“Our customers have told us that they care about the environment, so I am pleased that so many of them took advantage of this opportunity to switch to paperless bills and enable us to help make a significant positive impact on the Atlantic Forest,” said Herbert A. Miller, Jr., president of Columbia Gas of Kentucky.
Miller added that Columbia recently introduced WarmWise, a series of energy efficiency programs designed to help customers save energy through home energy audits, furnace replacements and natural gas appliance rebates.
Columbia Gas of Kentucky and NiSource’s commitment to build a sustainable company through environmental programs like these, as well as non-environmental programs, is commendable,” said Terry Cook, Kentucky state director of The Nature Conservancy. “The dedication of the company’s utility customers will have a profound effect on the Conservancy’s efforts to rebuild the Atlantic Forest.”
According to the Conservancy, the Plant a Billion Trees reforestation effort would remove approximately 10 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year, equivalent to taking two million cars off the road.
Columbia’s free electronic billing service is a convenient way customers can manage their account and help the environment at the same time. Instead of receiving a paper bill in the mail, customers receive an email notification that their Columbia Gas of Kentucky bill is available to view on the company’s Web site the same day it is rendered. The email provides a link to the Web site, where customers can also pay their bill at no charge and perform other business on their account, such as signing up for the Budget Payment Plan. The email notification also includes a link to electronic versions of bill inserts and other important account information.
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