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Newsletter Issue 10 - December 2020
An eventful year Welcome to Issue 10 of the SGN Natural Gas Newsletter. I am very pleased to introduce this latest issue in my new role as Director of SGN Natural Gas, following on from my predecessor Danny O’Malley. It has been without doubt an eventful year. We began 2020 on a high note for the project, and despite the challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic we are also ending the year on a very positive and encouraging footing. In January, we officially announced the completion of the main construction phase of the ‘Gas to the West’ pipeline. The event held in Dungannon was also an opportunity for us to thank the local community, business partners and stakeholders who have supported the successful delivery of the project. Natural gas is now available for over 15,000 properties to connect with more becoming available on a weekly basis. As part of our wider community engagement, we held weekly information sessions in a range of local venues for domestic customers to find out more about converting their homes to natural gas and the financial incentives available to help with their installation process. With government restrictions in place from March onwards to help limit the spread of coronavirus in the community, we continued to communicate our key messages to consumers in new and innovative ways. We now offer customers 1-1 virtual appointments if they prefer, with one of our SGN Natural Gas domestic sales representatives. We are pleased to report that to date we have connected more than 1,250 customers across our key towns in the west. Consumer demand for natural gas is increasing all the time and our dedicated team are working hard to ensure that many more homes and businesses in the west have access to the well-documented benefits of this fuel source as soon as possible. SGN Natural Gas also looks forward to further developing two exciting biodiversity initiatives in the new year, including tree planting and community bee-keeping projects. Multi-faceted stakeholder engagement together with key collaborative partnerships, working with the other gas operators in Northern Ireland, remains our key focus as we all plan for a new energy future. This project ensures there is now a clear pathway to a fully decarbonised, hydrogen-ready future for Northern Ireland. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your ongoing support while we continue to develop the network. On behalf of everyone at SGN Natural Gas, I wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.
David Butler Director, SGN Natural Gas
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Fane Valley Feeds cuts carbon emissions by more than a third Fane Valley Feeds - one of the largest animal feed manufacturers in Northern Ireland - have revealed that converting their large fuel supply to natural gas has resulted in a 34% reduction in carbon emissions and improved energy efficiency. Fane Valley Feeds has two production sites in Omagh and Newry which are both now running on natural gas. Their purpose-built Omagh mill is located in the new SGN Natural Gas network. It commenced production in 2010 and is one of the most modern animal feed production facilities in Europe. The Omagh facility at Bankmore Road, manufactures over 250,000 tonnes of animal feed annually. An £18 million investment including on-site laboratory facilities, underlined their commitment to the Northern Ireland livestock industry. Fane Valley Feeds’ recent connection to the natural gas network in Omagh is aimed at helping it to become an even more sustainable business for the future. Ronan McCanny, Fane Valley Feeds Operations Director said: “Fane Valley Feeds is part of the Fane Valley Cooperative Society which has a number of businesses now connected to natural gas. Our Newry site was connected previously to the network there and we warmly welcome the recent switch-over to the new state-of-the-art network recently available to us in Omagh. Now both sites within the Feeds business are running on natural gas.” He explained: “Our approach is one of ongoing continuous improvement. We constantly seek to improve efficiencies throughout all of our processes. Converting the fuel supply to our boilers from oil to natural gas has lowered our carbon emissions by 34% and improved our energy efficiency.” Jamie Cunningham, Key Account Manager at SGN Natural Gas, said: “Natural gas has a wide range of significant benefits including helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint on the environment and making them more competitive in global markets. We are pleased that a number of key industrial connections in the network including Fane Valley Feeds have placed their confidence in natural gas as the new fuel of choice for both business and domestic consumers in the major towns in the western area of Northern Ireland.”
Jamie Cunningham, Key Account Manager at SGN Natural Gas (right) and Ronan McCanny, Fane Valley Feeds Operations Director, pictured at the Omagh facility.
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New Director embraces the challenges and responsibilities in leadership role SGN Natural Gas announced the appointment of its new Director, David Butler to lead the huge energy infrastructure project bringing natural gas to the major towns in the western area of Northern Ireland. David took up the key role on 5th October 2020 following the departure of Danny O’Malley who has moved to a new position in SGN as Group Head of Transmission based in Scotland. David has a track record of designing and building gas networks in Northern Ireland. As Head of Engineering with SGN Natural Gas since 2015, he led the main construction phase of one of the most significant infrastructural projects ever undertaken in the province. Prior to joining SGN Natural Gas – the newest distribution network operator in the Northern Ireland gas market - David accumulated almost 20 years’ experience in various senior roles at Phoenix Natural Gas, the major network serving customers in the Greater Belfast area. Commenting on his appointment, the Director said he was very excited to take up his new position and embrace the challenges and responsibilities of the role. “It is also an honour to be in this role having worked on the project since the very start and to have seen the significant milestones achieved to date.” His early career was as a design engineer working with the project team developing the new gas network for Phoenix Natural Gas which was launched in Belfast in 1996. He later progressed to roles in Asset Management and as Engineering Policy Manager. An exciting new opportunity arose to join SGN Natural Gas as Head of Engineering, developing brand new network infrastructure. This represents an ultimate investment of over £250million focused on offering an alternative, more efficient energy choice to consumers in the western area and helping to tackle fuel poverty. The network has now reached all the target towns, paving the way for consumers to switch from their existing energy supply to mains natural gas for the first time. David said: “The project contains innovative network design and material selections which will help minimise costs in what is a very challenging environment. Importantly, this project ensures there is now a clear pathway David Butler, Director of SGN Natural Gas pictured with Danny O’Malley, the to a fully decarbonised, hydrogen-ready former Director who has now taken up a new position in SGN as Group Head of future for Northern Ireland. The network can Transmission based in Scotland. ultimately play a vital role in decarbonisation, removing millions of tonnes of CO2 from the west of Northern Ireland where oil/solid fuel use is prevalent.” The former Chair of the Irish section of gas industry professional body IGEM, thanked his predecessor, Danny O’Malley, for his support and guidance during his leadership over the past five years. He also paid tribute to the “fantastic team” at SGN Natural Gas, adding: “I am very fortunate to work with so many experienced and committed colleagues. Potential customers in our network area now have access to an affordable and more convenient form of energy, which is much cleaner than the other traditional fossil fuels typically in use today.” “Our participation in the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP) scheme has ensured that lower income households benefit from funding to help convert their homes from oil and solid fuel to natural gas. Given that fuel poverty is higher in the western area than in other parts of Northern Ireland, we will continue to lobby for further support for residents within our network area on an ongoing basis.” The Director is assured to be busier than ever in his new role, however when he gets some time to ‘switch off’ he is a keen sportsman with a passion for outdoor activity including adventure races - he has completed a number of these challenges over the past 10 years - no mean feat when they involve a series of long runs, kayaking and mountain biking. David has also done a number of half marathons and has recently joined a local triathlon club - having completed one so far. He coaches at his local sports club in Glenavy at the weekend. He and his wife Tracey, who works as a teacher, have two teenage children and the family live in Co. Antrim.
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Pipe dream becomes a reality as apartment complex converts from LPG The convenience of mains natural gas is no longer a pipe dream for the residents of an exclusive apartment complex in Enniskillen, thanks to SGN Natural Gas. All 12 apartment owners at Hunters Moon on the Irvinestown Road, signed up to convert their homes from LPG to natural gas which was fully installed recently. Simon Dickie, Chair of Hunters Moon Residents Group, said they were delighted to have it all completed following the major lockdown arising from the global pandemic earlier in the year. Simon said: “The residents were very enthusiastic about changing from bottled gas to a piped supply. They could see the benefits, fundamentally the unit price for natural gas is significantly less than for bottled gas, but it also gave many residents the opportunity to upgrade their boilers for the first time in 15 years due to financial support from SGN Natural Gas.”
Simon Dickie (second right), Chair of Hunters Moon Residents Group and some of the other residents of the apartment complex who have all recently converted from LPG to mains natural gas.
“Everything went very smoothly – apart from the obvious factor of having the lockdown in the middle of the plans but that was totally unavoidable.” Simon said the residents were very pleased with the way SGN Natural Gas led the conversion process until its ultimate completion. He explained: “Each of the 12 shareholders liaised individually with the installers. The team from SGN Natural Gas agreed the contracts with each of us and when they had all signed up, work got started. It was all done very efficiently with little or no fuss involved.” “SGN Natural Gas completed the connection to the gas mains and installed the gas meters. The gas fitters have come in and connected gas fires or cookers as required by the individual properties. From a personal point of view, although I’m from Enniskillen, I lived in England for 25 years so I was used to having piped gas, it’s really easy and relatively inexpensive.” Summing up the positive customer experience at Hunters Moon, Simon said everything was “clean, tidy, safe and friendly”. Households in Hunters Moon - which has beautiful views of Enniskillen’s Racecourse Lough - range from young families to older residents. Availing of mains natural gas for their home heating and cooking has certainly been a popular collective choice. John Grant, SGN Natural Gas Residential New Build Representative, who coordinated the scheme, ensured that the conversion process was hassle-free for all involved. He said: “It was a pleasure to work on the Hunters Moon conversion from LPG to mains natural gas. I am delighted that the residents are now experiencing the many benefits available since we were able to complete their installations.”
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Simon Dickie enjoying the enhanced comfort of natural gas central heating in his apartment.
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One stop support hub for natural gas customers with bespoke new website Network operators and gas suppliers across Northern Ireland have come together to launch a one stop support hub for natural gas customers. With more than 300,000 properties already connected to the natural gas network locally, SGN Natural Gas, firmus energy, Phoenix Natural Gas, and SSE Airtricity NI have collaborated to produce a bespoke website with important information for consumers across a range of issues, including: - Codes of Practice to ensure consumers receive the best service possible; - Payment and Meter support including step by step guides if a friend or family member is topping up on your behalf; - Energy Bill support; - Energy efficiency tips for your home; - Energy Care Scheme benefits and criteria; and - Additional Support Services giving consumers access to organisations that can offer support beyond their energy needs, such as financial and mental wellbeing services. Throughout the pandemic, natural gas operators have continued to provide essential maintenance, emergency service and critical new customer connections. Natural gas suppliers have continued to support consumers with meter readings and help with energy bills. Welcoming the collaborative website and its benefits for consumers, Michael Legg, Head of Energy at The Consumer Council said: “Access to heating and hot water has never been more important for so many consumers in Northern Ireland. Therefore, we are pleased to see the natural gas industry work collaboratively to offer important support for natural gas consumers.” “It is important that consumers are aware that support is available to them and we encourage anyone with a worry or issue regarding their natural gas to contact their supplier who will be ready to help.” To support the launch of the website, each of the natural gas operators and suppliers has shared a series of social media posts demonstrating the range of ways they can help consumers. For further information on the support available to natural gas consumers, visit naturalgasni.com
Town centre roadworks paused for Christmas to support local traders SGN Natural Gas has literally gone the extra mile in the run-up to Christmas by pausing town centre roadworks from Monday, 23rd November 2020 until Friday, 1st January 2021. The company’s pre-scheduled annual works programme is designed to avoid carrying out non-essential work in town centres in the network area during what are traditionally the busiest weeks of the year for local traders. David Butler, Director of SGN Natural Gas, said the voluntary commitment to suspend roadworks within town centres in the run-up to the festive season was even more timely this year, given the ongoing impact of the global pandemic on the local economy. He explained: “SGN Natural Gas has led on this initiative from the outset of the project which is aimed at ensuring traffic can flow more freely in and out of towns during what is traditionally the busiest time of year for local businesses. We really want to help make a difference again this year when town centres need extra support now more than ever.” Mr Butler added: “We are very grateful for the ongoing support received from the local communities in the towns we serve while we deliver natural gas to homes and businesses and, we wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy Christmas.”
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Many more satisfied customers…. We have been engaging directly with both new and existing domestic customers to see how they are getting on since converting their home energy supply from oil/solid fuel to natural gas. In the piece below taken from a recent selection of testimonials, we hear from a satisfied Strabane householder two years on after the Co. Tyrone town paved the way for the expansion of the network in key towns in the west of Northern Ireland.
‘I love it, it’s better than oil!’ “I love it, it’s better than oil!” That’s the hassle-free verdict of Strabane resident Josephine McGinn two years after her home was converted to natural gas in the town’s Lisnafin Park. The conversion was part of the Housing Executive’s natural Josephine McGinn topping up her prepayment natural gas gas heating replacement scheme. Natural gas is the preferred meter. heating option for the Housing Executive as it provides security of supply from regulated energy suppliers, with lower carbon emissions than home heating oil. Lisnafin Community Centre was the venue for one of the first SGN Natural Gas information sessions held in the network area for consumers to find out about the benefits of natural gas as an alternative new fuel supply to oil and solid fuel. Two years on, the local mum-of-two lists the main benefits of natural gas for her household as affordable, easy to budget, a warmer home and peace of mind knowing no-one can steal natural gas which comes from a secure underground piped supply. Josephine said: “I have been around gas all my life, we used town gas at home when I was growing up and I already had a gas cooker. I love it, it’s better than oil; it’s more affordable and easier to budget. I top up £5 every week and it never runs out. I just work it into the weekly budget and you know you are going to have heat and hot water. With the oil you are always watching what you use until you can get the next 500 litres.” Thanks to the new insulation measures also installed as part of their natural gas conversion, the McGinn family are in no doubt that the house is definitely a lot warmer. In fact, as Josephine put it: “The heat is unreal”- but in a good way! Josephine and her husband Martin have lived at their threebedroom home in Lisnafin Park for 20 years which is shared by son Daniel (24) and daughter Caitlin (18). Their natural gas conversion was completed in less than a day. The removal of the old oil tank which was no longer needed, freed up more space to enjoy their back garden and Josephine pointed out: “You have no worry about filling up with oil and somebody coming behind you to steal it or, if the price of oil takes a hike.” Recommending natural gas to other local residents, Josephine added: “We are both lucky to be working but it’s going to be difficult for a lot of people heating their homes this year and being able to do that for £5 a week is so much handier and more beneficial than relying on oil.” Strabane resident Josephine McGinn relaxing in her cosy home after a busy day at work.
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Helping households move out of fuel poverty by converting to natural gas On Fuel Poverty Awareness Day [27th November 2020] SGN Natural Gas joined national charity NEA Northern Ireland and others up and down the country to highlight the issue and encourage people to seek the help that is available to keep warm at home. Darren Young, Head of Business Development with SGN Natural Gas said: “The ‘Gas to the West’ project originated from a need to offer an alternative energy choice to consumers in the west who, up until now, have been heavily reliant on solid fuel and oil. Our company has been very conscious of this driver from the outset, and we are already actively helping to enable customers to move out of fuel poverty by connecting to our new network. Customers in our network area now have access to an affordable and more convenient form of energy which is much cleaner than the other traditional fossil fuels that are typically in use today.”
Pat Austin, Director of NEA Northern Ireland.
“Our recent participation in the hugely successful NISEP scheme has ensured that lower income households benefit from funding to help convert their homes from oil and solid fuel to natural gas, and it is imperative that we continue to further assist this consumer group in the coming years. Given that fuel poverty is higher in the western area than in other parts of Northern Ireland, we will continue to lobby for further support for residents within our network area on an ongoing basis.” Every winter millions of people across the UK struggle to stay warm and healthy at home. Rising energy costs, low incomes and energy inefficient homes leave them unable to afford even basic household essentials like energy, food and heating. Living in a cold home can have a range of impacts on physical and mental health and treating cold-related illness is estimated to cost the NHS in Northern Ireland £40m a year. This year the situation will be even more difficult. COVID-19 is squeezing household finances further and compelling people to spend more time in their homes. Some of the health conditions caused or worsened by cold homes, such as asthma and COPD, also place people at greater risk from the virus. Pat Austin, Director of NEA Northern Ireland, commented: ‘‘160,000 households in Northern Ireland are in fuel poverty and dreading the onset of the cold weather, with no idea of the support that may be available to them. While we commend the Department for Communities’ efforts with the Affordable Warmth Programme, alone this is not enough to tackle the ongoing problem. We still need to highlight that much needs done and by working together, we can get help to those who need it most, ensuring that people can live in a warm and safe home this winter.”
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Thank you for taking the time to get up to date with the SGN Natural Gas network project. If you would like to contact us about our project please don’t hesitate to get in touch Visit sgnnaturalgas.co.uk Phone: 0800 975 7774 Email: info@SGNNaturalGas.co.uk Facebook: @SGNnaturalgas Twitter: @SGNNaturalGas LinkedIn: SGN Natural Gas