Utility Will Cover Gas Disaster Repair Costs Through May 2020

METHUEN, MA -- Columbia Gas of Massachusetts said Tuesday it would cover the cost of repairs for residential customers in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence through May 2020, including appliances, piping and labor. The coverage is for equipment that was installed by Columbia Gas and its subcontractors in the months following the Sept. 13 gas explosions. For business customers, the coverage extends one year from the date of installation.

"It'll cost what it's going to cost, and we'll write the check," Kirk Cresto, vice president of Merrimack Valley operations at Columbia Gas, said.

The announcement at a press conference is aimed at giving a sense of security to the 173 residential customers in Andover, 373 customers in Lawrence and 323 customers in North Andover who were part of the utility's rapid re-light program. That program, announced in the fall as winter approached, had the utility repairing damaged appliances and holding off on replacing them until after the winter heating season.

The company has been fielding as many as a dozen calls a day, on average, to service those appliances. On Jan. 22, when temperatures dropped into the single digits, Columbia Gas received 40 calls.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).