Consumers Energy in Ithaca working to get gas services back up after pipe incident

ITHACA, Mich. (WILX) - Workers from Consumers Energy spent Sunday fixing the disconnected natural gas services that impacted Ithaca residents and businesses.

About 1,400 Consumers Energy customers have experienced the loss of natural gas because an underground pipeline was struck causing Consumers Energy to disconnect its natural gas services. If customers were not present when workers arrived to restore service, Consumers Energy have left a green door tag with instructions to schedule a relight.

Background: Pipeline damage in Ithaca prompts service interruption to 1,400 customers

Restaurant owners like Los Hermanos owner Jose Gomez, weighed in on how this shut off affected their business.

“If you do not have no gas, you cannot do anything,” said Gomez.

Gomez said they had to shut down for a day and a half because they were not able to use natural gas for cooking on a gas stove which in turn impacted the restaurant’s revenue for the weekend.

“For us because we’re losing money, especially those two days, those are our busiest days for us. Friday and Saturday are the busy days,” said Gomez.

Gomez said Los Hermano’s luckily opened up Saturday evening.

To help fix this problem, Consumers’ Energy workers are visiting homes and businesses Sunday to relight customers’ pilot lights. Spokesperson Brian Wheeler said Consumers Energy is working to fix the problem as soon as possible.

“We expect by the end of the day that we will make contact or go to every home or business that’s been affected,” said Wheeler. “We don’t know of all the circumstances of how this accident happened in the first place, but you can see the impact that it has across the community.”

Consumers Energy said this accident should serve as a reminder for people to practice safe digging at your home or business. Wheeler said if someone is working on a project call 811 to learn more about the locations of underground pipelines, wires, and other utilities.

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