Gas News Release

August 21, 2001

Annual Furnace Check Ensures Safety, Comfort

CLEVELAND – An annual furnace inspection by a qualified, reputable heating contractor can help ensure economical, reliable comfort, along with peace of mind, for Dominion East Ohio customers this winter heating season.

An annual inspection can help customers achieve maximum comfort for their energy dollar, while preventing potential carbon monoxide or other safety problems.

While checking your furnace, a contractor should make a visual inspection of all vents, heat exchangers and motors. Contractors and customers should follow this general checklist, to ensure maximum comfort, safety and economy from their natural gas heating systems:

• Change or clean filters at least three times during a heating season.

• Check the blower belt (if the furnace has one) for wear and lubricate the blower and blower motor as recommended by the manufacturer.

• Check the pilot light (most newer furnaces feature pilot-less ignition.)

• Clean cold-air grills so that air can flow properly.

• Move furniture and draperies, so that airflow is not obstructed.

• Clear the furnace area of any dust or combustible materials.

• Clean dust from the blower compartment.

• Test the thermostat to be sure the heating system works, as it should.

• Check the flue to make sure it is clean and open. Any fuel that does not burn completely can create harmful levels of carbon monoxide. The gas can collect in a home if a fuel-burning appliance is not working or venting properly.

Cleveland-based Dominion East Ohio is the largest natural gas distribution subsidiary of Dominion, headquartered in Richmond, Va. Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, with a production capability of 2.7 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy per day. The company has a power generation portfolio of more than 21,000 megawatts, which is expected to grow to approximately 28,000 megawatts by 2005. Dominion is also one of the largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in North America, with 2.8 trillion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas reserves, with an annual production capability of over 300 billion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas. The company has 7,600 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline with a delivery capability of 6.3 billion cubic feet per day.

In addition, the company operates the nation’s largest underground natural gas storage system, with more than 950 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. Dominion also serves 3.8 million retail natural gas and electric customers, and owns a managing equity interest in Dominion Fiber Ventures LLC, owner of Dominion Telecom. Dominion Telecom is expanding its fiber-optic network from its current 35,000 fiber miles (3,600 route miles) to more than 800,000 planned fiber miles (9,000 route miles). For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.