Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 24, 1994 TAG: 9403240065
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The company is taking advantage of the power outages caused by this winter's ice storms to sell more gas appliances and, of course, more gas.
Going out with this month's bills is an insert that asks customers: "Want relief from power outages?" It suggests that natural-gas water heaters, space heaters, fireplace logs and ranges may be the answer.
Roanoke Gas Vice President Rob Glenn said the company got the idea from the "barrage" of customers who have asked for space heaters and other gas appliances since the ice storms.
Customers even are asking about whole-house electric generators fueled by natural gas that cost up to $6,000. "They say, `We don't care what it costs, we want them,' " Glenn said.
"I can't believe how hot an item this whole thing has become," he said, adding quickly that he didn't intend his statement as a pun.
The company sold about three dozen of the $300 wall-hung radiant space-heaters and could have sold more had it had them, Glenn said. The company's supplier of electric generators said it would take two months to get delivery because of the demand, Glenn said.
Glenn said Roanoke Gas was not trying to knock Appalachian Power Co. with its sales pitch. Rather, he commended Apco with doing an outstanding job getting the power back on after the storms.
Ice storms in January, February and March left tens of thousands of Apco customers across Southwest Virginia without power, some for many days.
Apco spokesman Don Johnson said he hasn't seen Roanoke Gas's bill insert. But, he noted, this winter was not the norm for the area.
"I don't know if I'd change my lifestyle," he said, noting that Apco has a nearly 100 percent reliability rate and its customers normally are without power only one or two hours a year on average.
The inserts are not the greatest way to reach people from a marketing standpoint, Glenn said, because they go only to people who already are Roanoke Gas customers.
He said he expects the gas appliances to get a lot of attention at this weekend's home show, Better Living Expo '94, at the Salem Civic Center, where Roanoke Gas will have a booth.
The public may see some sparks fly at the show, too. That's because Apco will operate its own booth at the show - right next to the gas company's.
by CNB