Customer ReviewsforVirginia Natural Gas

In my opinion, VNG has shown dangerously inadequate service and a callous disregard for our safety concerns, regarding a gas leak inside our house. I am filing this complaint because I was given no satisfaction speaking with a VNG Supervisor and feel there are issues here that compromise the safety of other VNG customers. My wife and I noticed a strange smell inside our house, immediately after a new roof was installed on 8/2/23. I thought the smell was due to new roofing materials. Neighbors started reporting the smell of gas near the street in front of our house. In mid-October, I called VNG and requested an inspection. The Inspector declined to go into the house, saying, "If the smell is outside, near the street, it couldn't be coming from inside your house". I called VNG a second time in November. This time the inspector went into our house and immediately detected a strong smell of gas. He found the source of the leak in our attic and turned off the section of the line until it could be repaired. He said we could have had a very serious problem if we didn't have so many roof vents that allowed most of the gas to escape our attic. In summary, we had gas building up to a dangerous level inside our attic for over 3 months, because the first VNG inspector failed to check inside our house. We received larger gas bills for August through November. VNG has refused to make any adjustments in these charges and says their first inspector did what he was supposed to do (e.g., was following VNG’s protocol of inspecting inside a customer's home only if the customer reports a gas smell emanating from the inside the house when the customer first calls). I maintain VNG's protocol is flawed because any reasonable, prudent person (much less a gas expert) would normally check inside and outside, if given the facts provided by me. VNG requires that the customer (a lay person) determine where the gas is coming from and will not let their inspectors make their own judgement.

We are in receipt of the review filed by William ******** regarding the gas leak investigation for **** ******* ***** ******** ****** *** *****. Mr. ******** stated that he noticed an odor for several months. However, he did not report the gas odor to Virginia Natural Gas until October 17, 2023. The agent asked Mr. ******** if the gas odor was on the inside or outside of the home. Mr. ******** replied that he did not notice a gas odor. However, his neighbors reported smelling gas on the outside of his home. We dispatched our field service agents to **** ******* **r., ******** ****** ** at 10:36 AM. The Field Service agent arrived at 10:48 AM. The agent conducted a thorough investigation by taking readings at the meter set, probing each corner of the customer’s home within 10” of the building wall and checking the water and sewer facilities near the customer’s home. The investigation lasted until 12:03 PM. There was no natural gas detected at that time. Mr. ******** made a follow up phone call on November 3, 2023. Mr. ******** reported smelling gas on the inside of the home. We dispatched our field service agent to **** ******* **r., ******** ****** ** at 9: 11 AM. The field service agent arrived at Mr. ********’s home at 9: 35 AM. The Field Service agent began the investigation by taking readings inside of the customer’s home. The agent found a gas leak in the attic on the copper line leading to the gas logs. The gas leak was caused by a nail that punctured the copper line. Due to the vents and foam insulation in the attic the gas was escaping through the vents and outside of the customer’s home. To make the home safe, the agent placed a red tag on the copper line and turned the gas off to the gas logs at the appliance valve. The field service agent advised the customer to contact a natural gas contractor for assistance with repairs. I contacted Mr. ******** after reviewing the account to address his concerns on Thursday, December 28, 2023, at 1:18 PM. Mr. ******** was not available for comment, I left a message advising Mr. ******** to contact me at his earliest convenience. I received a call from Mr. ******** at 4:31 PM. Mr. ******** expressed that the initial leak investigation was not performed adequately. He felt as though the agent did not perform a thorough investigation. Thus for, leaving the home in unsafe conditions, that could have caused harm to himself and home. As the gas continued to escape in the attic until he made a follow-up phone call on November 3, 2023, when the gas leak was found and made safe. He expressed that he is not looking for compensation. He is asking that Virginia Natural Gas revisit the policies and procedures in place when investigating a gas leak. I advised Mr. ******** that I would speak with our Emergency Response supervisors and our Field Service Supervisors to discuss our current policy and procedures when investigating a gas leak. I spoke to our Field Service Supervisor who advised me that the initial investigation was performed per our policy. In the state of Virginia, the leak investigation is performed according to where the gas odor is reported; if the gas odor is reported on the outside of the home, the agent will investigate on the outside of the home. If the customer reports smelling gas inside of the home, the agent will investigate inside of the home unless otherwise requested while onsite. I have given this information to my direct supervisor who is in talks with the Regional Supervisor for Virginia Natural Gas. We are currently working to change the leak investigation procedure for Virginia Natural Gas. Mr. ******** has been advised. He has my direct contact information should he have any questions. Thank you,

Virginia Natural Gas Company. My experience with the Gas Company unprofessional along with poor customer service. I received a letter in the mail from VNG and it say that I didn't meet the agreement. What arrangements there was no arrangements or agreement. Virginia Natural Gas told me they were going to cut my gas off. I have been a customer for over 10 yrs that doesn't matter to VNG. They don't care about there customers just the money. Virginia Natural Gas has been over charging customers for years and they need to be investigated. I was told that I had made payment arrangements that's a lie. According to there computer once again no arrangements were made. Let's go back a little the bill was over **** 00 dollars in June of 2023 I know whaaaaaaaat. It was for the winter months that high bill. What kind of bill would anyone get in June of 2023 for that amount. The weather started warming up in middle of March 2023 so the thermostat was cut off. Now who's wrong here. There was nothing I could've said that would've made a difference cos the computer said so. Once again I didn't make any arrangements on the phone or with a representative. There was credit already applied to the bill any concerning during the winter months. So they cut the service off and could'nt careless. The Gas Company has been milking customer for yrs now and don't give a *** about you or anyone else. However, I'm still making payments on the current bill. If I didn't need them to heat, cook or hot water I'd tell them were they could go. VNG won't omit when they are wrong. I would have make other arrangements with a different Company.

Unfortunately, we were unable to locate Mr. ********* account. We have many customer accounts with the name George *******. We will gladly address Mr. ********* concerns if additional account identifying information is received.