Inuvik Gas continues to grow
Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Nov 17/00) - Make it 400 and counting. Inuvik Gas Ltd. switched on its 400th meter Nov. 6, a plateau officials hadn't planned to achieve until the end of this year.
Marketing manager Jill Finley explained her company has installed 62 commercial meters, and 338 residential ones. She pointed out that since some places share meters, in effect the number of units served by gas would be more like 800.
The first conversion occurred in August 1999.
Finley said the high cost of oil could help explain why more people than expected have converted. She said that contractors doing the conversions have also hired more staff, thus speeding up the process.
"It was really hard when we first started, 'cause we only had a couple of contractors interested," Finley said. "Now we have five full contractors and they all have full crews."
The company's mandate, Finley said, "is to stay 15 per cent lower than the current oil price. Customers have been seeing between 15 and 25 per cent savings."
Finley said there are still about 100 openings left in the Inuvik Conversion Incentive Program (ICIP). The maximum grant under ICIP is $2,700 or two-thirds of the cost of conversion.
Inuvik Gas Ltd. and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development each contributed $500,000 to set up the ICIP fund. The program runs until March 31, 2001.
Finley pointed out an elders grant program, for homeowners who are 60 and over, is also available, but that it expires at the end of December.
