OVER $4.1 MILLION SAVED ON NATURAL GAS PURCHASES AND BILLINGS REVIEWS
Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed today reported that at least $4,127,000.00 in savings on natural gas purchases and review of natural gas and electric billings have been achieved in the past eight years through the City’s Central Energy Program started by the Mayor in 2000.
Through the program, natural gas is secured on a bulk-purchase basis, which created the savings. Negotiated bulk pricing is obtained through a negotiation process with the natural gas suppliers, Reed said. These savings amount to $3,627,000.00 over what would be the normal rate for the gas consumed.
A further program component is to review the monthly utility billings and meter readings for both natural gas and electricity usage. Errors are found and the participating customers get either rebates or credits on their future billings. Thus far, at least $500,000.00 in savings have been found, with $100,000.00 of this amount in the last six months of 2007 alone, Reed said.
The Mayor said the program currently serves twenty governmental, non-profit and for-profit business customers but that other entities and businesses of a non-residential nature can join. Current program participants include the City, the Harrisburg School District, the Harrisburg Housing Authority, the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, the National Civil War Museum, Dauphin County, Community Life Team, Inc., the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum and the Harrisburg Authority.
The City’s Central Energy Office is administered jointly by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and Special Projects at Suite 405 of the City Government Center, 10 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, telephone 255-3027 or enielsen@cityofhbg.com and by Benchmark Solutions, Inc. of Pittsburgh. A free explanatory brochure about the program is available for others considering joining the program, Reed said.
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