Et cetera : Alliant Energy reminds customers: Keep snow and ice off meters and vents

Heavy snow and ice can affect natural gas meters and cause safety concerns

With the forecasted large snowfall and drifting snow over the next few days, Alliant Energy reminds customers not to forget about clearing snow and ice from their gas meter as well as their furnace vents and other vents around their home.

It’s important to remember heavy snow accumulation can cover natural gas meters as well as other vents around your home. Natural gas meters have regulators and a vent to allow gas to escape. If the vent is blocked, your gas system could malfunction

Customers should also be aware of the dangers and risks of carbon monoxide (CO). The risk of illness or death from carbon monoxide increases in the winter. Every home should have at least one working CO monitor in the home.

New energy-efficient furnaces and water heaters vent out the side of a home, instead of the top. If either the side wall vent or the roof top vent becomes blocked, the appliances could stop working and create a build-up of CO.

Important safety tips:

• Don’t pile snow on or near the meter when shoveling or using a snow blower
• Use your hands or a brush, not a shovel, to clear snow and ice from the meter
• Never bang on the meter or pipes
• Don’t let dripping water or freezing rain build up on the meter. The vent can become plugged when ice and snow melt during the day and refreeze at night
• Carefully remove icicles hanging above the meter
• Check furnace and water heater exhaust pipes. If an exhaust pipe is blocked, the furnace or water heater could malfunction or stop working

Heavy snowfall can also affect electric service. If a tree branch falls on a power line, or a power line comes down, stay away and call Alliant Energy right away. Keep others away from downed power lines until our crews arrive.

For more information, or to report an emergency, please call 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268). Customers can also find more information at alliantenergy.com/safety.

Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and over 412,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electric and natural gas service is the company’s primary focus. Interstate Power and Light, the company's Iowa and Minnesota utility subsidiary, serves approximately 530,000 electric and 235,000 natural gas customers and is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Alliant Energy is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at alliantenergy.com.