When Bill and Carol Sadowski purchased their Newark, Del. home in 1976, the home’s source of energy for heating was oil. In 2009, after years of worrying about leaks and soot-stained windows, they converted their furnace, hot water heater and range to propane, since natural gas was not available in their neighborhood.

Four years later, Bill and Carol were pleasantly surprised to hear about the possibility of natural gas coming to their community. They quickly joined the neighborhood initiative to make natural gas a reality.

“We were so thrilled about natural gas,” said Bill. “We like how affordable and efficient it is, saving us both money and energy. Natural gas is a clean source of energy and very reliable, which is important to Carol and me.”

The couple became active in spreading the word throughout their community to support the gas main extension into their neighborhood. Both believed that it was important for neighbors to personally reach out to others in the community, rather than just being contacted by Delmarva Power or their community civic association.

A retired engineer, Bill investigated the British thermal unit (BTU) output per unit for each fuel source, or amount of energy required to raise the temperature in a home, and discovered gas was the most energy efficient. Carol, a retired systems analyst, compiled the data into a spreadsheet. Together, they created a flyer based on this research and shared the data with neighbors.

Due in part to the Sadowski’s efforts and their community’s demonstrated interest in natural gas, we were able to design a project to bring natural gas into the community. Since they already had fuel line pipes running through their home for propane, Bill and Carol hired a contractor to make the simple changes to prepare their home for natural gas.

As the winter months are quickly approaching and the need for heat increases, Bill and Carol continue to see the benefits of heating their home with natural gas. To learn more about converting your home to natural gas, please visit our website at delmarva.com/myswitchtogas or call our My Switch to Gas Team at 302-429-3117.