Washington Gas

“Washington Gas Has Failed to Take Action to Stop Toxic Chemicals from Leaching into the Anacostia River; Settlement Requires Additional Mitigation Measures”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by Jim Havard

From the DC Office of the Attorney General (OAG):

“Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Washington Gas has agreed to contain hazardous pollution actively seeping into the Anacostia River at the former site of the company’s East Station, a gas plant that operated on the banks of the river for nearly 100 years.

An investigation by the District’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) uncovered evidence that toxic chemicals—byproducts of gas manufacturing at the shuttered plant—are currently bubbling up from the contaminated riverbed and seeping into the water from polluted soil on the riverbank. OAG alleges that Washington Gas has failed to take adequate steps to prevent the ongoing release of pollutants. Under the terms of a new settlement agreement, the company must install a new floating boom to contain pollution on the surface of the water; install new barriers to prevent the release of pollutants from the riverbed and riverbank; submit to ongoing monitoring by the District; and face fines for any noncompliance. (more…)

“Frustrated by Washington Gas and a crazy high bill”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I’m reaching out because I’ve been caught in a pretty frustrating situation with Washington Gas, and I’m curious if anyone has ever dealt with something similar.

I moved into a one-bedroom apartment (~650 sqft) about a year ago. For the first 7 months, my monthly gas bill was in the $30–40 range, which matched what the previous tenant had paid (they lived here for five years and never saw a bill over $40). The tenant below me (who has a larger apartment) also tracks that range similarly. Based on my past apartments and shared housing situations, that seemed totally normal.

Then, out of nowhere, my January bill jumped to $600. After a few calls, (more…)

Signs of the Times: Tiki Garden on H Street, NE

By Prince Of Petworth

From Tiki Garden via email:

“Same thing happened to us this year again. So frustrated with Washington Gas. Called them several times but nothing happened. The gas line on 13th is low pressure and old. They need to be replaced and maintained regularly. Anytime we have rain or flood, the water will get inside the gas line and create a blockage. Our location will remain closed or open with limited menu and bar.” (more…)

“received an email from Washington Gas that our service is being suspended (disconnected)”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

We received an email from Washington Gas that our service is being suspended (disconnected). The “move out request notice”. We called the WGas and it appears as if somebody (they even gave us that person’s name) requested to activate the service at our address. No details on how (call or email). We’re in a four-unit apartment building. Has anything similar happen to anyone else?”

“Washington Gas Online Payments”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve been unable to pay my Washington Gas bill for over a month. Some bug in their credit card processing. More-than-weekly emails have yielded assurances that the issue will be fixed, but here we are. Am I alone?”

“My bill went from $6,000 to $3,000 – I hope this helps other people in the future.”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by angela n.

“Dear PoPville,

I’m here to report the Power of PoPville!

My meter relocation issue was posted on Monday and on Tuesday, I received a call from someone in the construction department of Washington Gas. Apparently several people had forwarded him the posting and he was calling to help answer my questions and resolve the issue.

A PSA on responsibilities related to moving a meter: (more…)

“Help! Outrageous (?) quote from Washington Gas for meter relocation”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I’m hoping the hive mind can help me with this crazy estimate to move my gas meter.

As part of a renovation, I need to move my Washington Gas meter from inside the basement to outside (just on the other side of the wall). Washington Gas contracts with third party vendors to do the work. In this case it’s Miller Pipeline. I was floored when I received this estimate today of over $6,000 dollars. (more…)

Washington Gas Woes Cont. “Total hold time was 5 hours.”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve been on hold with Washington Gas for over two hours, and this is not the first time this month. I’ve sat on hours-long holds a few times and in previous call attempts I’ve had to hang up to go to work or class before anyone picks up. I’ve also emailed their customer service email address and have not gotten a response. Adding insult to injury, the hold robot started saying “your expected wait time is less than 5 minutes” at least an hour ago. (more…)

View More Stories