LINCOLN, Neb. — Oct. 02, 2020 - Black Hills Energy is restoring service to Homer this afternoon after pressure monitoring systems detected an issue at the regulator station providing service to the community.  

Safety is our number one priority for our customers, the community and our team members. To safely restore service, technicians had to go door to door and turn off the approximately 200 gas meters in the town. Technicians are now going door to door to relight pilot lights after making repairs to the regulator station serving the town and re-pressurizing the gas lines.

“We expect to fully restore service this evening as residents return home from work,” said Don Nordell, senior operations manager for Black Hills Energy. “It is extremely important that customers do not attempt to re-light their own pilot lights on their water heaters, furnaces or other gas appliances.”

At locations where no one is home or the business is closed, a tag will be left on the door notifying the customer that the natural gas has been shut off and to call the company for it to be turned back on. Because safety is our top priority, technicians will follow government guidelines on social distancing and appropriate personal protection equipment.

Customers with questions about restoring service should contact Black Hills Energy at 1-888-890-5554.

Please remember the following safety tips:

• Be alert for leaking natural gas. If you smell natural gas, leave the building or area immediately and tell others to leave too.
• After you’re safely away from the area, call 911 and our emergency number at 800-694-8989. Never assume someone else has reported a natural gas leak. Alert your neighbors.
• Do not turn on lights, ignite a flame, use a cell phone or use anything that might cause a spark, including a flashlight or a generator.
• Never attempt to repair a natural gas leak, and do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off.