Since early last summer, homeowners on the city’s west side and members of the West Broadway Neighborhood Association have been fighting National Grid’s decision to move its gas meters to the exterior of their homes as it installed new high-pressure gas lines.
The Providence City Council recently passed an ordinance that details “standards” for the public utility company during large construction projects. And now state lawmakers have introduced legislation that could set statewide precedents. (READ MORE)
Jessica Jennings, a WBNA member who lives in the affected neighborhood, took a few minutes this week to bring Providence Business News up to speed on the issue.
PBN: Could you give us a little background on the gas meter issue?
JENNINGS: Our struggle with National Grid is primarily a property rights issue, and began last July when the company started digging up our neighborhood streets to replace the gas mains. Shortly after construction began, residents heard a rumor that National Grid was planning to move all of our gas meters from the inside of our basements to the fronts of our homes as it replaced the gas mains. We called National Grid and the rumor was confirmed, but there was no communication about it from the company.
When contractors began to run new piping from the street into the foundations of residents’ homes, next to their front doors, still without any notification from National Grid about its plans, the neighborhood became irate and began to organize, call their elected officials, the R.I. Public Utilities Commission and the press. There was a sense of disbelief from homeowners that a utility company could so easily violate private property rights and that there were no consumer protections in place to fall back on.
This has been a remarkably unified and unifying effort. While there are some people who do not want their meters moved, there are others who don’t mind having their meters outside. The one thing we all agree on is that we want to have a choice as to where meters go, inside or outside, on the back or on the sides of houses. We want to participate and be consulted by the utility company about this process that will greatly impact the investment value and use of our properties.
While this issue became energized in our neighborhood, we quickly understood that this problem was happening elsewhere in the state and would continue as National Grid eventually replaces all of the gas mains throughout Rhode Island.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
PBN: For the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, why is this important?
JENNINGS: There has been a massive outcry by neighbors about this issue, and that’s whom we represent. The WBNA has spent 25 years working with the community to revitalize the west side and wants to continue moving forward in this positive direction. Millions of dollars have been spent on renovating houses and public spaces in this neighborhood. What National Grid wants to do in our neighborhood is a step backward.
Like many old neighborhoods in Providence, Newport and elsewhere, the west side has many properties that sit right on the sidewalk. These homes have little or no setback and no means to hide meters behind landscaping or other devices. This problem becomes compounded by the fact that many homes here are multi-families that would amount to having anywhere from 2 to 6 meters hanging on the front of a property next to the front door. That’s a problem for both the homeowner and the rest of the neighborhood that has to look at these meters.
Gas meters on the fronts of houses in a dense, urban neighborhood such as this one have a tremendous impact on property values. Industrial-looking utility equipment on house fronts signifies neglect and the absence of investment. What is your first impression of a home with multiple satellite dishes on the front, or with massive utility wires in front of it? We care about our neighborhood and our properties, both historic and non-historic, and understand from our experience with trying to negotiate with National Grid that legislation is necessary to ensure that our neighborhood and our rights are protected.
This issue did not start with the WBNA and will certainly not end with it. Individuals and agencies such as the Rhode Island Association of Realtors, the Newport Restoration Foundation, Bristol Historic District Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have joined this effort with the recognition that National Grid’s practices will negatively impact properties throughout the state and beyond.
PBN: Legislation has been introduced on the issue. What’s happened with that?
JENNINGS: Sen. Paul V. Jabour, Rep. Steven M. Costantino and Councilman John J. Lombardi have been tremendous advocates for our community on this issue – and not only for our community. Councilman Lombardi held numerous meetings at the WBNA that were attended by residents across the entire city and all three officials introduced legislation with their colleagues that aims to protect property owners of homes and businesses throughout the city and state.
Legislation was, in Jabour’s words, “a last resort.” [The three] worked very hard to resolve this issue with National Grid but drafted legislation to protect their constituents when the utility company walked away from the negotiating table last fall. Both House bill H-5088 and Senate bill S-0107 have been heard by their respective Corporations Committees, but no rulings have yet been made.
A Providence city ordinance was approved unanimously by the City Council and was signed by Mayor David N. Cicilline in December. National Grid has petitioned the Public Utilities Commission to nullify this ordinance. The PUC [held] a public hearing at the Providence Public Safety Complex on March 11 at 7 p.m. to hear from the community. A large turnout [was] expected from Providence and statewide property owners, real estate agencies and lobbyists and historic agencies.
PBN: If the current legislation were to pass as written, what would be the outcome?
JENNINGS: In effect, the financial interests of property owners, investors and collaterally affected groups such as real estate agencies will be protected if this legislation passes in the house and senate. In addition, economies based on historic preservation and the protection of Rhode Island’s historic heritage such as “heritage tourism” (as in Providence, Bristol, Newport and other historic towns) and historic-property investment and development will be supported.
If passed, this legislation protects all property owners from National Grid’s forcible gas meter relocations and installations on homes. The gas company will be required to consult with property owners to determine the most suitable locations for gas meters and regulators before installing such equipment on a house. The bills also prohibit outside gas meter installations on house fronts and other visually prominent locations unless there is no other feasible alternative. Outside gas meter installations in historic districts will be prohibited unless permitted by homeowners and the town’s historic district commission.
PBN: You have done some research into the cost of relocating gas meters; in your opinion, would it be more expensive for National Grid to leave gas meters where they are?
JENNINGS: National Grid told our community last fall that it costs more money to move gas meters outside than to leave them inside basements where they have safely resided for decades. The reason the company gave our community and the Public Utilities Commission last fall for moving gas meters outside is that the federal government requires leak checks of meters every three years and that moving meters outside makes it easier to comply with this requirement. Unfortunately, we are paying for these meter relocations and not just in terms of lost property values.
Starting April 1 of this year, the gas company is implementing a statewide gas main replacement program that includes gas meter relocations. This upgrade program was approved for a rate hike last December by the PUC, which means that we are actually paying for moving these meters when it is unnecessary and costly to ratepayers on many different levels. Of the $26.7 million estimated cost of the program for this year alone, almost half is proposed for individual service replacements, which includes meter relocations.
Because we have sat through PUC hearings and listened to National Grid engineers and representatives testify, because we have researched and read and done our civic duties on this issue, we know that gas meters can safely remain inside homes but that National Grid has made it an imperative for meters to be outside. It is not a safety issue and it is not a meter-reading issue. Gas meters are low-pressure devices that read how much gas is used and are as safe indoors as the gas piping and gas appliances inside homes. All gas meters in Rhode Island are now equipped with an automatic meter reading mechanism that allows it to be read from the street, whether the meter is inside or outside the house.
National Grid’s policies and practices are effectively cutting the citizen and ratepayer out of its equation, which may or may not save it time, money or convenience. But it is surely not the right thing to do, nor does it seem the right way to do business.
