Columbia Gas and Nisource partner with The Nature Conservancy to help protect local environment
Westborough, MA. - The partnership between NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, and The Nature Conservancy is part of NiSource’s Direct e-Bill campaign that encourages its residential and commercial customers to sign up for free paperless billing. During the three-month campaign, each customer who signed up triggered a donation to support local freshwater conservation projects in their state. In total, 18,883 customers across five states signed up during the campaign.
(left to right) Jessica Rice Healey, Rob Warren and Alison Bowden of Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy accept donation from Sheila Doiron of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts"We're continuing our commitment to environmental stewardship across the company," said Columbia Gas of Massachusetts President Steve Bryant. "This partnership is a great opportunity for our utility customers to support local freshwater conservation programs and save trees."
Last month, Sheila Doiron, Director of Communications for Columbia Gas presented Alison Bowden, Massachusetts Freshwater Program Director for The Conservancy, a check for $18,530. The ceremony was held at The Conservancy’s Boston office. The funds will help The Conservancy with two important freshwater conservation projects in western and southeastern Massachusetts.
Balancing human needs with nature on the Connecticut River, The Conservancy is working with dam owners and state and federal agencies to restore more natural flows along the river. The Connecticut River is one of the most heavily dammed waterways in the nation. NiSource funds will help The Conservancy change the operation of dams in an effort to increase flow to benefit fish and mussel populations while also maintaining healthy water supplies to cities and towns along the way.
The Conservancy is restoring river health and fish passage in the Wild and Scenic Taunton River watershed in Southeast Massachusetts. “This gift will help The Nature Conservancy to reconnect over 40 miles of the Mill River, a tributary of the Taunton River, by removing dams and installing fishways so that alewife and other native fish will be able to reach their traditional spawning grounds upstream,” said Bowden.
In addition to the customer-driven campaign, the NiSource Charitable Foundation contributed $100,000 to The Nature Conservancy to support its ongoing freshwater conservation efforts in five states, including Massachusetts, for a total contribution of $200,000.
Signing-up for Direct E-bill Is Simple and Free
The Columbia Gas free electronic billing service is a convenient way customers can manage their account and help the environment at the same time. Instead of getting a paper bill in the mail, customers receive an e-mail notification that their gas bill is available to view on Columbia’s Web site the same day it’s rendered.
Customers can pay their bill online at no charge and perform other business on their account, too, such as signing up for the Budget Payment Plan. The e-mail notification also includes a link to electronic versions of monthly bill inserts, customer newsletters and other important account information.
According to a recent survey, the average household receives approximately 19 bills and statements and makes approximately seven paper payments per month. Collectively, the production and transportation of those paper bills, statements and payments consume nine million trees, 755 million pounds of paper and 512 million gallons of gasoline.
Visit www.ColumbiaGasMA.com and select “Manage Your Account” to sign up for the free paperless Direct e-Bill service. Learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to conserve and protect the world’s fresh water supply at www.Nature.org.
About Columbia Gas of Massachusetts
About The Nature Conservancy:
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.