Author: Shannon Jackson

The advent of crisp fall days is a reminder that it's time to prepare for the coming winter months. Take time now for preventative maintenance that will save energy and prevent potential damage from winter storms. Before freezing weather sets in, use foam rubber sleeves to insulate pipes along outside walls or in unheated areas such as basements and crawl spaces. According to HomeAdvisor, an online service that connects homeowners to local service professionals, a burst pipe can cost around $500 to repair and can cause up to $3,000 in additional damage. Consider investing in a natural gas generator to provide energy during power outages. Because natural gas is delivered to the home via underground pipelines, it is less susceptible to weather disruptions. So, a natural gas generator can provide a reliable secondary energy source for your home. To maximize home heating, check for leaks and air drafts. According to…

Southeast Gas hopes that the 8/11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for residents to contact 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Every few minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. When you contact 811, your local utility companies mark the approximate location of any buried lines in your yard so that you don’t risk injuring yourself or disrupting utility service to the neighborhood. It’s easy to make your free request by calling 811 or going online to al811.com. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, requires contacting 811 to ensure underground utilities have been appropriately marked before digging. Striking a single line can cause repair costs, inconvenient outages and fines, severe injuries and even death. Every digging project warrants contacting 811 by phone or online. Installing a mailbox,…

As people return to a normal routine in the wake of the pandemic, home design trends for 2023 focus on comfort and versatility with a sense of fun and joy. The New Home Trends Institute (NHTI) reports contemporary home designs are expected to be the most popular over the next few years with farmhouse designs ranking second among consumers. Designers see a move away from straight lines and the incorporation of more curves, according to Decorilla, an online platform designed to connect customers with designers. Curved arches, rounded furniture and arched doorways can create a playful option for modern designs. For millennials and Gen Y, designs are often more eclectic, combining multiple design themes and elements to create unique styles, according to the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association’s (NKBA) 2023 Design Trends Survey. Multifunctional Spaces Whatever the design style, consumers want more multifunctional spaces in their homes, according to the…

Construction workers with Southeast Gas must have or obtain a Commercial Driver’s License within one year of starting their positions with the company. With three to four new construction workers hired annually, getting them trained and qualified to drive company vehicles under the new CDL standards was proving problematic. That’s when Southeast Gas Safety Coordinator Mark Fowler and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (LBWCC) Workforce Development Director Chad Sutton began developing a strategy to solve the issue. LBWCC offers a Skills for Success commercial driver’s license training course, and that course allows individuals and businesses like Southeast Gas to participate in rapid credentialing. This week, four Southeast Gas employees, having already passed their theories course and obtained their commercial learner’s permit, began LBWCC’s Skills for Success Range and Road courses and will be prepared to take the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) road test later this month. Fowler said this…