President's Message
By Todd Ware, President & Chief Executive Officer
During our most recent annual meeting, I reflected on our cooperative’s progress and challenges during 2023. If you did not attend, I want to be sure you have access to the same information. Here is a recap of my Annual Report article and the information I shared on May 13, 2024 during the cooperative’s Annual Meeting of members.
2023, A Year of Growth
The year continued to be a year of change within the cooperative, including plans and efforts to build a solid base for the future. This would include new pipes and electric lines in areas to provide redundancy. We also added a new gas tap for additional supply, and we purchased land to build new substations. We saw a slower increase in our membership than last year. However, many new projects have started, which should lead to robust growth in 2024. One milestone accomplished in 2023 was exceeding 5,000 propane members. This part of our business has continued to grow consistently while working to provide our members with quality service. We are grateful and excited to move into another year full of opportunities.
Safety
Safety remains, and will always be, one of our top priorities. We work hard to deliver your energy reliably while keeping employees and members safe. We continue to participate in national safety review programs for electric and natural gas and are considered leaders within those programs. As a result, our safety metrics continue to be significantly better than both state and national industry averages. Our electric cooperative has gone over twenty-four years without a lost-time injury.
Financials
Consolidated financial results for the year were slightly below budget, as we reported a positive net margin of over $6 million. This number was below budget due to lower member sales and higher interest costs. The effects of a warm winter and cool summer were the most significant drivers of the lower results. The overall inflationary price increases caused us to review our total expenses. We cut some operating expenses for 2023 to help keep overall expenses aligned with the budget.
The consolidated comprehensive income was $5.5 million, which was also below budget. These results raised our equity position to over 23%.
Electric
The electric division continued to work to improve reliability and member outage times during 2023. Our commitment to reliability is evident in the almost $10 million dollars spent on capital improvement projects. These projects focus on rebuilding aging infrastructure and constructing new distribution lines. Our electric division will continue to strive toward the lowest outage times possible. To that end, we reduced our outage times to 1.35 hours per member. This was a 15% reduction from 2022. In addition, we reduced our five-year loss line average by 4%.
Natural Gas
The natural gas cooperative continues to experience significant new growth as we added over six hundred new residential members. In 2023, the natural gas cooperative spent just over $15 million on capital improvement projects. Over twenty-one miles of pipe were replaced or added, including upgrading aging infrastructure. The replacement of this aging infrastructure and our focus on leak repairs have drastically reduced our unaccounted-for gas over the past four years. Another result of these projects is that our outstanding leaks are at the lowest level since we started keeping track of leaks many years ago.
Administrative
We strive to provide the best service to our members. We use several metrics to evaluate the service we provide you, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which scores our ability to meet your expectations and level of satisfaction. These scores improved or stayed the same in 2023 as compared to 2022. We have also worked hard to improve our communications using multiple methods to inform you about what is happening at your cooperative. As with all businesses today, we also devote many resources toward cybersecurity and protecting your information. These include an annual audit of our system against potential cyber attacks. We continue to look for additional methods of protection for our technology systems.
The future continues to be bright for the cooperative and our communities. Between massive growth opportunities and challenges, 2024 will be another eventful year.
EPA Rules & Buckeye Power
By Pat O'Loughlin, President & Chief Executive Officer at Buckeye Power
The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s new rule on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants will, if implemented, have severe negative consequences not only for Ohio but for our entire nation.
The rule requires existing coal-fired power plants to nearly eliminate the carbon dioxide they emit by first capturing the carbon that is produced when coal burns and then pumping it deep underground. The rule requires compliance by January 1, 2032.
What the rule requires, however, has never been done; it relies on technology that does not exist and is unlikely to exist, at least anytime soon. No process has come close to capturing carbon at the level the rule requires, nor is there any available method to geologically store the volume of carbon in question.
Industry leaders (including myself) testified before Congress, and we told the EPA directly, in no uncertain terms, that the proposed rule would force the closure of nearly all coal-fired power plants operating in the United States, which currently supply approximately 20% of U.S. electricity. What’s worse, it allows no good option to replace that always-available power.
The effect of the rule will be a sharp increase in cost to consumers and a severe reduction in reliability, all at a time when electrification of our economy is accelerating, industrial production is on the rise, and AI is gobbling up more and more electricity with every passing day.
Nearly every knowledgeable industry participant with an interest in maintaining a reliable electric system, along with members of Congress from both political parties, raised concerns with the EPA, pointing out the obvious problems with this rule. The EPA chose to ignore those concerns.
The last ill-conceived, unrealistic, and unachievable attempt the EPA made at regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the so-called Clean Power Plan, took nearly eight years before it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now Buckeye Power, along with many other electric suppliers and utilities, will once again be forced to spend precious time and resources in court to stop the EPA from overstepping its authority and causing those severe negative consequences for what would be a relatively negligible reduction in overall global CO2 emissions.
In the meantime, we will, of course, continue to do everything in our power to meet your need for reliable and affordable electricity.
Reliability at Risk
U.S. EPA’s new power plant rule threatens co-ops’ ability to keep the lights on. Here’s what you should know.
Electric-industry leaders nationwide are pushing back against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recently announced regulations that those leaders say are a threat to the reliability and affordability of electricity in the U.S.
The new EPA rules are meant to drastically reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the baseload generation sources that provide economical 24/7 power across the country — including the Cardinal Power Plant in Brilliant, the Ohio electric cooperative member-owned facility that supplies electricity to more than
1 million people in 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties and employs more than 300 people.
One of the new rules would require Cardinal and other coal-fired plants to be 90% carbon-emission free by 2032 and points to carbon capture and sequestration — technology that does not and is not likely to exist at a scale that would be necessary — as a means to achieve it. Generating facilities unable to meet the demands would be forced to close.
“The rule mandates the use of unproven technologies and sets unattainable compliance limits on power plants,” says Pat O’Loughlin, president and CEO of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, which owns and operates the Cardinal Plant. “The regulations are unrealistic and unachievable.”
Raising the Alarm
Co-ops, as well as attorneys general from 27 states (including Ohio), also contend that the rule is unlawful, and have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block it. They contend the EPA is using its rules to transform the economy, which not only violates the Clean Air Act, but also ignores the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a similar EPA overreach in 2022.
O’Loughlin and electric utility leaders from around the nation have been raising the alarm since the rule was first proposed. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the PJM Interconnection (PJM), the Mid-Continent Independent System Operator (MISO), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) — all of which have an interest in or responsibility for maintaining a reliable electric grid — provided input to the EPA during the public comment phase, all pointing out problems with the rule.
Even investor-owned utilities, which stayed mostly silent in previous EPA attempts to hamstring coal-fired power, have pushed back on the rule. Duke Energy, which serves about 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, issued a statement saying the new rule presents “significant challenges to customer reliability and affordability — as well as limits the potential of our ability to be a global leader in chips, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing.”
Supplying the Demand
The Energy Information Administration projects that power demand will reach record highs in 2024 and 2025, increasing by 2.5% and 3.2% respectively. Grid planners forecast electricity demand, thanks in large part to new AI data centers, increasing use of electric vehicles, and new manufacturing facilities, to grow by 38 gigawatts through 2028 — the equivalent of adding another California to the grid.
“This trend is a welcome indicator of innovation and a growing economy that will strengthen America’s position in the world,” says Michelle Bloodworth, president of America’s Power, a partnership of industries involved in producing electricity from coal. “At the same time, it means that we need more sources of dependable and affordable electricity, not fewer.” Bloodworth says utilities have already announced plans to shut down more than 60,000 megawatts of coal-fired generation over the next five years — enough to power 600 data centers or more than 60 million homes.
“The rule undermines electric reliability and poses grave consequences for an already-stressed electric grid,” says Jim Matheson, CEO of the NRECA. “The American economy can’t succeed without reliable electricity. Smart energy policy recognizes that fundamental truth and works to help keep the lights on. I don’t think anyone at the EPA thought about reliability.”
A Better Way
Matheson stresses that the industry in general, and electric co-ops in particular, are not against progress, including environmental progress. Ohio’s electric cooperatives, for example, spent more than $1 billion on emission controls at Cardinal Plant since 2012, and as a result, the plant has been recognized as one of the cleanest-operating coal plants in the world.
Co-ops are also sponsoring partners of the National Carbon Capture Center and the Wyoming Integrated Test Center, and members have been actively engaged in the research and deployment of CCS in no less than five of the largest such projects anywhere.
Matheson also pointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new $9.7 billion Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, designed specifically to help co-ops build and invest in clean energy resources. The voluntary program drew more than double the expected participants and $26 billion in project applications that would launch $93 billion in investments across rural America.
“Electric co-ops are answering the call for innovation,” Matheson says. “We are going to continue to be the voice advocating for rational policy in terms of making sure when our members at the end of the line flip the switch, the light comes on, and when the bill comes at the end of the month, they can afford to pay it.”
National Electric Code
By Josh Filler, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer - Electric Operations
In August 2023, the State of Ohio passed legislation under Ohio Administrative Code 4101:1 that effectively enacted the National Electric Code (NEC) 2023 (NFPA 70) into law within the State of Ohio. The National Electric Code is reviewed by the National Fire Protection Association every three years. Due to COVID-19, the NEC 2020 code was not adopted, and, therefore, Ohio jumped from the NEC 2017 to NEC 2023. The certification of NEC 2023 took effect on April 15, 2024.
Service Installations
You may be wondering why my article covers the National Electric Code this month. The fact is that NEC 2023 now has an impact on service installations within Ohio. The largest of those that impact the utility/member interconnection is NEC article 230.85, which establishes the requirement of an emergency disconnect on one, two and three-family dwellings. This is to assist emergency personnel in de-energizing electric service to residences in the event of an emergency. This applies to all new residences and those upgrading or replacing anything but the meter base or service entrance conductors. If you plan on replacing your main breaker panel, you will need to bring your service up to this new code and install an emergency or service disconnect on the outside of your home.
Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection
Another significant change taking effect is the requirement to install Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter (AFCI) protection on most living spaces within a residence (dwelling). This section was removed from code via the Ohio Administrative Code in the past but is now included in the Residential Code of Ohio. This protection is typically done within an AFCI breaker within the main panel. The purpose of the AFCI is to detect arcing on a branch circuit and interrupt, or trip, the breaker. Arcing is typically an indication of a fault that is electrically arcing to ground or a neutral. The AFCI provides a level of fault detection that can avoid a fire hazard.
Many other changes took effect regarding installation on the members’ side of the meter, so be sure to check out some of the other changes that may affect your new or existing residence.
The changes that affect the interconnection between you and The Energy Cooperative are now reflected in our installation specifications, which can be found at on our website https://myenergycoop.com/document-library.
Energy Scams
By Heather Juzenas, Vice President of Marketing & Member Services
In today's digital world, energy scams are on the rise. Scammers are using more sophisticated methods to deceive unsuspecting individuals as technology advances. At The Energy Cooperative, we want to help our members avoid potential financial losses and help to protect their personal information. Here are some tips to help you avoid utility scams.
Scammers typically disguise themselves–physically or digitally–as utility employees or representatives to steal consumers’ money or personal information. A common trick is to claim a bill is past due and threaten to turn off your utility service if a payment is not made immediately. Scammers contact people in many ways- including phone calls, text messages, emails and even in-person visits. However, the digital line of attack is increasingly more common.
Spoofing
New capabilities disguising caller ID or “spoofing” can make the phone number you see on caller ID appear to be from a trusted source or local area code. Spoofing makes it easier for scammers to deceive you because it is more difficult for you verify the call.
Fake Websites
Another recent scam uses fraudulent websites identical to a utility payment webpage — and what’s worse, these pages are often promoted on search engines to trick consumers into clicking and making a payment.
Red Flags
There are several red flags you can look for when identifying an energy scam. Scammers often use high-pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency, like claiming your electricity or other services will be disconnected if a payment is not made immediately. Additionally, scammers may ask for unusual payment methods such as gift cards or cryptocurrency. If someone pushes for an unusual payment method, it is likely a scam.
You have probably noticed that many digital scams, like emails or text messages, include poor grammar, spelling errors and odd email addresses. These are red flags, so when you see these sketchy forms of communication, consider it a potential scam.
What The Energy Cooperative Will (and Will Not) Do
We will never call you to ask for personal information. We only need it to start your service and (in this case) you call us!
We do not need you to provide a copy of your bill. We’ve got it!
We will never demand payment in prepaid debit cards.
Our member service representatives DO NOT take payments over the phone.
Our field employees DO NOT take payments.
We will inform you if your account is past due. You can verify this through Smarthub or by calling us at 740-344-2102.
Our employees carry ID badges. You can ask them for it anytime!
Please contact us if you have any doubts or suspicions regarding potential energy scams. Your collaboration is crucial in combatting utility fraud, and by notifying us about potential scams, you can actively contribute to protecting our community against fraudulent activities.
Summer Cybersecurity
By Scott Stitts, Vice President & Chief Information Officer
As summer vacation approaches, many people are eagerly making plans to travel, relax and enjoy their time off. However, it is important to remember that cybersecurity should be a priority during this time.
Cybercriminals are always looking for opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities and steal personal information, and summer vacations present a prime opportunity for them to do so. Keep your personal information protected by following these tips.
Update Your Devices
Before you leave, make sure to update all your devices (laptop, tablet, and smartphone) with the latest software and security patches. This helps ensure that you have the most up-to-date protections against cyber threats.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi
Whenever possible, avoid using public Wi-Fi altogether. Use your phone's cellular data or a mobile hotspot instead.
Use a VPN
If you need to use public Wi-Fi (such as in a hotel or coffee shop), use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and protect your privacy. This will help prevent hackers from intercepting your data.
Use Strong Passwords
Make sure your passwords are strong and unique. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts and consider using a password manager to help you keep track of all your passwords.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Enable two-factor authentication on all your accounts. This will add an extra layer of security by requiring you to enter a code sent to your phone or email in addition to your password.
Add Extra Authentication
Consider using biometric authentication such as fingerprints or facial recognition to lock your devices and prevent unauthorized access.
Be Wary of Phishing Scams
Phishing scams can be common especially during travel season, so be extra cautious of any emails or messages that ask for your personal information or credentials. Be sure to verify the sender's email address and hover over links to check their legitimacy before clicking. Cybercriminals often use phishing scams to trick people into revealing their personal information.
Avoid Oversharing on Social Media
While it may be tempting to post updates and photos of your vacation on social media, be mindful of how much information you share. When you post about your location or travel plans, it can make you more vulnerable to physical and cyber threats.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Make sure no one is looking over your shoulder while you enter your password. When you use an ATM, cover the keypad with your hand to protect your PIN.
Keep an Eye on Your Finances
Regularly check your bank and credit card accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice any unauthorized transactions, report them at once to your financial institution.
If you do all these things already, then congratulations! If you do not take these important precautions, you are at risk of cybercriminals stealing your identity. They will gain access to all your important information: your credit card and bank account information, your address, your work and personal email. Do yourself a favor and incorporate these tips into your daily life to keep you and your family safe from the possibility of a cybercriminal attack.
Safety In The Heat
By Connie Hogue, Vice President of Human Resources & Safety
Safety should be a consistent thought in your mind. We often fail to realize just how fragile our lives are and how quickly they can change. Something as simple as being outside on a hot summer day can be life-threatening.
Each year, hundreds of people die as a result of prolonged exposure to extremely hot temperatures. Although the human body can regulate its temperature when producing sweat, excessive amounts of sweat can lead to heat cramps and heat exhaustion. If the symptoms are not treated in time and sweating has subsided, the chances of heat stroke are inevitable.
Heat Cramps
Heat cramps are usually the first sign of heat-related illnesses. These muscle cramps are painful spasms that travel throughout your arms, legs and abdomen. They are caused by frequent sweating and dehydration.
To help alleviate the cramps and stop the muscle spasms, apply pressure and gently massage the affected area. Take small and spaced-out sips of water (or drinks that contain electrolytes). If you start to feel nauseous, stop drinking. If your cramps last more than one hour, get medical help right away.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion arises when the body loses large amounts of water and salt and there are not enough liquids being consumed to replace the electrolytes that were lost from sweating.
The symptoms include:
- Pale skin
- Muscle cramps
- Fatigue or weakness
- Headache, dizziness or fainting
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rapid heart rate
If you experience any of the symptoms associated with heat exhaustion, you should:
- Move out of the sun and into a shaded or air-conditioned area
- Drink water
- Place cold and wet towels on the body and take a cool shower (if possible)
If the symptoms of heat exhaustion are ignored, you could have heat stroke.
Heat Stroke
A heat stroke occurs when the body temperature rapidly increases within a short period of time, typically within 10 to 15 minutes.
The symptoms include:
- High body temperature (104 degrees or higher)
- Hot, flushed and dry skin
- Increased heart rate
- Headache, dizziness or fainting
- Irrational behavior or confusion
- Convulsions or unresponsiveness
If you experience any of the symptoms of a heat stroke, you must:
- Call 911 immediately
- Move to a cool location and remove any unnecessary clothing
- Apply cold water to the body through immersion, cold showers or wet towels, until the temperature drops to 101 degrees
- Monitor your breathing
If the warning signs of a heat stroke are not taken seriously and there is a delay in receiving medical treatment, it can cause a permanent damage or death.
Fortunately, heat-related illnesses can be prevented. To prevent falling victim to the heat you must:
- Drink plenty of water (even if you are not thirsty)
- Wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing
- Limit your exposure time outside on hot days (avoid the hottest time of day between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
- Take breaks and rest in air-conditioned areas
Knowing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat strokes allows you to understand the crucial steps to take in case you ever find yourself or someone else in a situation when hot temperatures become hazardous.
Gas Control Center
By Dan McVey, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer — Gas Operations
The Energy Cooperative’s Gas Control Center (Gas Control) is critical to ensuring the safe, efficient, and reliable delivery of natural gas from our pipeline system to our members. Gas control acts as the nerve center of our gas distribution network, managing the flow of gas through pipelines and storage facilities, monitoring system integrity, and responding to emergencies.
Real-time Monitoring
At the core of gas control operations is real-time monitoring. Dispatchers utilize an advanced SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system to oversee the entire gas storage and pipeline network. This system provides real-time data on pressure and flow rates, enabling dispatchers to quickly make informed decisions. This continuous monitoring is essential for maintaining the balance between gas supply and demand; and preventing potential disruptions in service.
Safety
Safety is paramount in our gas control operations. With the use of our SCADA system, we can detect abnormal pressure changes and flows. In the event of an anomaly, these systems alert our dispatchers, who can then take immediate action to make corrections and mitigate risks. This may involve shutting down affected pipeline sections, rerouting gas flows, or coordinating with field crews for on-site inspections and repairs. Additionally, gas control plays a key role in regulatory stewardship. By monitoring gas operations, it ensures we are in compliance with pipeline safety regulations.
Emergency Response
Emergency response is another critical aspect of gas control operations. Dispatchers are trained to handle a wide range of scenarios, from natural disasters to equipment failures. They maintain constant communication with field personnel, local authorities, and emergency services to ensure coordinated and effective responses to any incidents.
Efficiency in gas delivery is also a primary focus. Gas control optimizes gas flows to focus on the least-cost gas supply. They also schedule gas deliveries to meet peak demand periods and adjust flows to accommodate maintenance activities or unexpected supply disruptions
In summary, gas control center operations are vital for the seamless and safe delivery of natural gas. Through real-time monitoring, emergency response, system optimization, and regulatory compliance, our control center ensures that natural gas remains a safe and reliable energy source for our members.
If you smell natural gas or see or hear something that appears unsafe, go to a safe place and call our gas control center any time, day or night at 800-255-6815.
Impact of AI
By Pat McGonagle, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing industries worldwide, and electric and natural gas cooperatives are no exception. Member-owned cooperatives, which provide essential services to rural and underserved areas, stand to benefit significantly from AI advancements. Listed below are ways AI is poised to impact your cooperative, enhancing efficiency, reliability and customer satisfaction.
Optimizing Energy Distribution
AI can significantly improve the distribution of electricity and natural gas. Traditional methods often struggle with predicting demand and managing supply, leading to inefficiencies and higher costs. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data from smart meters, weather forecasts, and historical usage patterns to predict demand more accurately. This predictive capability allows cooperatives to optimize the flow of electricity and natural gas, reducing waste and ensuring a steady supply even during peak times. For instance, AI-driven demand response systems can automatically adjust the distribution based on real-time consumption data, preventing overloads and outages.
Enhancing Grid Management
Grid management and maintenance are critical, yet challenging, aspects of utility operations. AI can play a pivotal role in predicting and preventing failures. Through predictive maintenance, AI systems can analyze data from sensors installed on equipment, such as transformers and pipelines, to detect anomalies that may indicate potential failures. By identifying issues before they become critical, the cooperative can perform maintenance proactively, reducing downtime and maintenance costs. Moreover, AI can optimize maintenance schedules, ensuring that the most critical tasks are prioritized and that resources are allocated efficiently.
Improving Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is a key concern for both the cooperative and its members. AI can help by optimizing energy use at both the supply and demand ends. For instance, AI-driven energy management systems can provide real-time insights and recommendations to members on how to reduce their energy consumption.
These systems can learn from individual usage patterns and offer personalized tips, such as adjusting thermostat settings or scheduling appliance usage during off-peak hours. On the supply side, AI can enhance the efficiency of power generation and distribution processes, ensuring that energy is used as efficiently as possible.
Boosting Renewable Energy
The integration of renewable energy sources like wind and solar into the grid presents both opportunities and challenges. AI can facilitate this integration by forecasting renewable energy production and balancing it with demand. AI algorithms can analyze weather data to predict the availability of solar and wind energy, allowing cooperatives to plan accordingly. Additionally, AI can manage the variability and intermittent nature of renewable energy, ensuring a stable and reliable energy supply. This capability is particularly important as cooperatives strive to meet sustainability goals and reduce their carbon footprint.
Enhancing Member Service
Member service is a critical component of our cooperative operations. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide members with instant support, answering questions, and resolving issues efficiently. These tools can handle a wide range of tasks, from billing inquiries to outage reports, freeing up human staff to focus on more complex issues. Furthermore, AI can analyze customer data to offer personalized services and recommendations, enhancing member satisfaction and engagement. For example, AI may help identify members who may benefit from energy efficiency programs or new rate plans and proactively reach out with tailored offers.
Data-Driven Decision Making
AI will enable the cooperative to leverage data for informed decision-making. By analyzing data from various sources, AI can uncover trends and insights that might be missed through traditional analysis. This data-driven approach will allow your cooperative to make strategic decisions regarding infrastructure investments, resource allocation, and service improvements. AI can also help in identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring the cooperative's long-term sustainability and resilience.
In conclusion, AI holds tremendous potential to transform electric and natural gas cooperatives. By enhancing operational efficiency, improving customer service, and strengthening reliability, AI can help cooperatives operate more effectively and efficiently. As cooperatives adopt and embrace AI technologies, they will be better equipped to meet the evolving needs of their members in the years to come.
Business Information
The Energy Cooperative’s business hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Member service: 740-344-2102
- Electric outages or emergencies: 888-535-5732
- Natural gas or propane emergency: 740-344-2102
Safety Reminders
If you see a downed power line or other electrical hazard, call 911 then call our outage line at 888-535-5732. Assume every downed power line is energized and dangerous.
If you smell rotten eggs or suspect a gas leak, leave the area immediately. Call 911 then call us at 740-344-2102.