A joint venture by Southeastern based utilities Piedmont NaturalGas and Duke Power will use their overlapping service territoriesto find “opportunities to gain mutual efficiencies,” includingconsolidating and upgrading their meter reading programs andjointly negotiating for contractor services to enhance customerservice.

The plan, announced yesterday, entails an ongoing workingagreement to mutually benefit the companies and their customers inthe Carolinas where the gas and electric utilities share customers.They first plan a feasibility study on the potential forconsolidating meter reading to determine if a joint program, usinga single reader for both gas and electric meters, could lower eachcompany’s costs. Customer addresses within overlapping serviceterritories in the Carolinas have a potential base of more than500,000 customers alone.

“If we find areas where synergies could be achieved, we wouldhope to begin a joint meter reading pilot project in the thirdquarter of 2001,” said Duke Power Senior Vice President E.O.Ferrell.

The two will also are considering automating their meters,including the installation of remote meter reading where they wouldshare facilities and costs.

Other projects also on the drawing board have the potential tocontain costs and enhance customer service, they said, includingsharing trenches during installation of distribution facilities.They also are considering a partnership to negotiate with locationservices contractors for all underground pipes and wires.

Piedmont transports, distributes and sells natural gas to morethan 690,000 customers in North Carolina, South Carolina andTennessee, and is the second-largest natural gas utility in theSoutheast. Duke Power serves more than two million customers inNorth Carolina and South Carolina.

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