Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-20
Lack of Frankness
As TO Gas as Fuel

To the Editor of The Star:
THE recent articles in The Star con-
corning the overtaXing OF the Wasn4ns-
tnn gas mains and the apparent eAces-
siye costs of heating homes WIN sdS
have been read with considerable m
terest It is perfectly obviously to any
careful thinking person that the gas
mains in Washington, and any otner
citv for that matter, where installed
number of years ago, are OF only SUM
Gent capacity to carry the oomeSCic
load in residential districts, this load IN
fact having been increased largely III
later years due to installations OF gag
stoves, gas water heaters, gas irons pnot
lights for oil burners and other mousse
hold equipment. 49,.
local gas company 9s now having IS not
dissinlilar TO other localities where mouse
heating by gas has been undertaken.
The public itself is largely TO plane 1or
being too anxious to accept visionary
dreams of home heating by gas instead
of the usual coal or oil furnaces. Inc
heating values of coal, oil ana gas are
known quantities, as well as the cost pei
unit in the present market, making Cal
clllations of the cost Of obtaining Ger
tain amount of heat a more or less cut
and-dried proposition. With the units
and prices existing in Washington To-Day
il must of necessity cost from % TO IuU
ner cent more to heat by gas than Dy
either coal or oil, and the public now
seems to be finding this out. 1t Is pity
that they were not properly ADVISED
earlier.
1t is unfortunate that so many people
have completely misunderstood the very
fair guarantee made by the gasHent
conapany when they installed great
number of gas heaters in homes last
Fall. They seem to have the idea that
the estimates of fuel costs made by the
company were a guarantee that these
figures would not be exceeded, whereas,
as a matter of fact, this was not the
case, the only guarantee being that the
company would remove the gas heater
and refund the capital investment II
the fuel consumption was exceeded. O1
course, the gas bill must be paid regard
less of its amount, because the company
has no right to rebate.
The failure to properly inform pro-
spective buyers of the added costs over
the base rate of 60 cents per 1000 was
also unfortunate. I remember In the
hearings before the Public Utilities
Commission that it developed that gas
could not be furnished proftably by the
company at lower figure proposed by
the gas company itself in the original
schedule, and this rate was increased at
the instigation of the commission. II
seems to develop by some of the COM
plants published in The Star that the
actual rate of gas for heating is much |
closer rs cents per 900, with all charges |
included, than the 60-cent base rate |
which was ill-advisedly thought to OBJ !
tain by purchasers of this equipment
The gas company claims, it Is under
stood, to make no service charge Tor |
keeping in running order gas appliances
sold by it. From the references made |
in The Star it would appear that the |
demand charge S largely to cover this |
expense, and : if this is the case 1t |
is poor salesmanship to camout1age an
item that Is clearly provided for at the |
consumers expense in another more or |
less hidden item.
If an added cost could be made to the |
market price of coal and oil to cover |
erS, no doubt the dealers in these prod |
ucts would also gladly furnish free |
service as necessary. Obviously this |
cannot be done.
The advent of natural gas into Wash
ington no doubt is misunderstood by |
many people and a recent advertise
ment of the gaslight company in
volving the Inauguration of the entrance |
Of natural gas into Washington was
very clear statement of fact A small |
amount of natural gas is being utilized |
in the manufacture of Illuminating gas |
in Washington as substitution for oil,
which has been formerly used in boost
ing the gas to the required thermal
value. Mr. Keech is to be commended |
In his efforts to find the cause for the
many complaints with the view of see
ing that the public Is safeguarded in
the character, COST quality and distri-
button of gas in the District.