Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) is serious about their commitment to safe and reliable operations. To bolster their residential natural gas meter protection efforts, BGE partnered with Black & Veatch on an integrated plan to relocate and safeguard meters for more than 16,000 natural gas customers in the Baltimore, Maryland, region.

Undertaking a project of that magnitude can be a challenge for any organization, which involved moving gas meters from inside residential garages to nearby open spaces outdoors, flanked by bollards (metal poles) to protect them from nearby vehicular traffic. The project would “reduce the risk of vehicular damage to the gas meter, helping to ensure safe gas service.”

To proactively alleviate concerns from affected residents and provide full transparency on their efforts, BGE collaborated with Black & Veatch to develop a comprehensive customer outreach program to convey the importance of the relocation to internal and external stakeholders. The communications plan highlighted that the upgrades would be made at no expense to BGE customers and ensured that the BGE Meter Protection Team would engage with state and local officials, homeowners’ associations and property owners throughout the duration of the project.

The outreach efforts included letters to customers about the importance of gas safety initiatives, delivery of door hangers with details on what clients should expect during the meter relocation efforts, FAQ document development and additional communications about interacting with the approved construction contractor.

Effectively communicating the benefits of the initiative and garnering buy-in from stakeholders and resulted in special recognition for the Black & Veatch team with a BGE Customer Service Award.