Ultimate Comfort in New Homes

TORONTO, ON, March 3, 1999...Enbridge Consumers Gas, Ontario’s leading energy supplier and retail service company has just launched The Ultimate Comfort Guarantee service. The foremost gas distributor worked together with homebuilders to create the service designed to make newly built homes draft-free and to give homeowners precision control over the comfort of their homes.

"Enbridge backs the home comfort and heating cost guarantees for three years after the home is built," says Walter Matias, Manager, Residential Markets Energy Efficiency Programs at Enbridge Consumers Gas. "The Ultimate Comfort Guarantee addresses the comfort needs of today’s new homebuyers."

According to an in-depth survey prepared by research firm COMPAS, homeowners are more interested in new homes that assure them of home comfort and efficiency than ever before.

The survey revealed that more than 3 in 5 (62 per cent) homeowners said if they were shopping for a newly constructed home in the same price range with generally the same features, they would prefer a house covered by this type of service over one that is not.

Newer homes suffer comfort problems

Survey results also brought to light that even recently built homes suffer from many different home comfort problems. The COMPAS survey shows that more than half (56 per cent) of those who own newer homes (built between 1992 and 1998) are facing or have faced comfort-related problems in their homes. Common problems include:

• Some rooms in the new home were noticeably colder than others
• There was a pronounced dryness in the air
• People experienced uncomfortable draftiness in their new homes

"These symptoms are caused by draftiness in homes and heating systems that don’t deliver the right amount of heat to each room," adds Matias. "The Ultimate Comfort Guarantee program eliminates this problem."

Enbridge Consumers Gas Ultimate Comfort Guarantee

For a period of three years from the possession date, Enbridge Consumers Gas warrants that:

• The heating system is large enough to keep the new home comfortable at 22°C (72°F) even on the typically coldest day of the year.
• The temperature will be fairly constant from room to room.
• The home won’t feel drafty.
• The volume of natural gas required to operate the space heating equipment won’t exceed a pre-determined amount per year.

"If the new home’s comfort and heating costs don’t meet these requirements, Enbridge Consumers Gas will work to fix the problem without charge to the homeowner," adds Matias.

Enbridge Consumers Gas will also refund an amount equal to the cost for heating in excess of the costs associated with the predetermined maximum volume. Limitations do apply concerning Enbridge Consumers Gas obligations under this warranty. For those interested in finding out more about the service and for a list of participating builders, visit the Enbridge Consumers Gas Web site at www.cgc.enbridge.com/comfortguarantee.

Enbridge Consumers Gas, Ontario’s leading energy supplier and retail service company, is the country’s largest natural gas distributor, serving approximately 1.4 million customers in central and eastern Ontario.

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maimu@montanasteele.com