January 06, 2018 06:27 PM
DUANESBURG – A Duanesburg couple is feeling lucky to be toasty warm after spending a cold night wondering if they were going to run out of heat. The company that was supposed to deliver their gas was backed up.
Carolyn Bemis and Stanley Pierce huddled up in one corner of their home feeling like sitting ducks as the temperature started to plunge.
“We got out our electric heater, and sat there with it between the two of us,” Bemis said.
They dropped the thermostat to 60 degrees not knowing how long they had with a propane tank at seven percent.
“We sat here at seven percent yesterday with no word from anybody that they were going to deliver gas,” Bemis said.
That’s after they had ordered gas two and a half weeks ago. With the extreme cold, some companies are backed up on deliveries and the couple’s delivery date on January 2 came and went.
“Nobody appeared. Nobody called. Nothing,” Bemis said.
Because they leased their tanks, no other supplier is allowed to fill them. So Bemis and Pierce contacted a new company that promised to install new tanks this weekend.
Late Saturday morning, a delivery truck came through. Workers braved the bitter cold for the installation – and soon the heat was cranked up in the house.
“This is not an isolated incident. I have a lot of calls just today,” said Assem. Angelo Santabarbara.
The couple says they called Santabarbara out of desperation when they couldn’t get answers.
Santabarbara says throughout his district some people are using desperate measures to keep warm when they run out of gas. He says part of the problem is many people lease their tanks which locks them up with one supplier. That’s why he’s introducing legislation on Monday to change that.
“If the gas company doesn’t show up or delivery is delayed, and it’s an emergency situation, they’re going to be able to go to another supplier,” Santabarbara said.
As for Bemis and Pierce, they say this was a close call. They hope Santabarbra’s bill will help make a difference in the future.
“We felt desperate,” Bemis said. “We couldn’t get anybody to do anything. We couldn’t reach anybody.”
Read more at WNYT: http://wnyt.com/news/duanesburg-couple-fortunate-to-have-heat/4732814/
