Alert: Natural gas shutdown

salvetoday Posted On January 22, 2019
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On Monday, Jan. 21, National Grid suspended gas service to 7,100 customers in Newport and Middleton due to a low transmission supply issue from its natural gas supplier, affecting several buildings on Salve Regina’s campus.

The University will provide ongoing updates through this post, Facebook, Twitter and salve.edu email. If necessary, the University will activate its Salve-Alert text messaging system.

Campus Resources

Mercy Center kitchen: The kitchen in the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life will be available to off-campus students to cook dinner and stay warm. The Mercy Center is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25.

Miley/Walgreen laundry room: The Student Government Association, in conjunction with the Office of Residence Life, has made the laundry room of Miley and Walgreen halls available to off-campus students to do laundry.

Miley Hall cafeteria: Off-campus students can eat meals in the Miley Hall cafeteria. Upon arrival, please sign in with the front desk as an off-campus student. This service is for students who have already used their meal plan for the week or have no meal plan.

Commuter lounge spaces are located in Wakehurst, the Center for Student Development, and the Office of Multicultural Programs and Retention. These are comfortable spaces for students to relax in between classes. Additionally, the Office of Community Service is accepting non-perishable food items, which will be donated to Newport residents affected by the gas outage.

On Campus Residents

The following residences are closed due to lack of heat: 134 Webster St., Conley Hall, Narragansett Hall and Narragansett I and II. Students will not have access to these buildings until they are contacted by the Office of Residence Life. Questions, comments or concerns regarding these building closures should be directed to residencelife@salve.edu.

Affected students may:

  • Stay with a friend or family at an off-campus location where heat is operational.
  • Make their own reservations at a hotel and submit for reimbursement through National Grid.
  • Request access to an alternative temporary residence hall space until heat is restored. These spaces will be shared spaces with other resident students.

Affected students are asked to contact the Office of Residence Life with information about their status.

All other campus residences are not affected at this time. Please notify your RA and/or Safety and Security if your room is getting very cold. The facilities department will be notified to check those areas and assess conditions.

Hotel reimbursement: You must reside in an affected building in order to receive hotel reimbursement from National Grid. Students who stayed in a hotel on Monday night (Jan. 21) due to boiler issues in their campus residence and students in buildings that are still affected will be eligible for reimbursement. All other students are not eligible for hotel reimbursement.

The Office of Residence Life will provide affected students with an account number to use when applying for reimbursement. Residence Life will distribute this information to affected students as it becomes available (likely later this week).

Off Campus Residents

If your off-campus residence is without gas service, please be sure to notify your landlord of your situation.

Hotel reimbursement: National Grid will reimburse the cost of rooms for affected customers who seek hotel or motel lodging. Here is a list of Rhode Island hotels for customers desiring hotel or motel lodging. National Grid will reimburse the cost of the room for your stay, regardless of price. You must keep your receipts, fill out their form, and contact their claims department at (781) 907-3930 to be reimbursed.

If your residence has been affected, you must obtain an account number from your landlord to use when applying for reimbursement. Students whose off-campus residences have not been affected by the gas shutdown are not eligible for hotel reimbursement.

Gas restoration: Affected residents should not attempt to turn off their own gas. National Grid technicians will be visiting your residence to secure the meter. You must be home in order for your gas service to be restored. However, if you are not at home when National Grid arrives to turn on your service, a door hanger will be left with instructions for contacting them to complete this step.

If you are without heat and are unable to find temporary accommodations, please contact the Office of Residence Life at (401) 341-2210 or residencelife@salve.edu.

Important Phone Numbers

  • Safety and Security (24 hours): (401) 341-2325
  • National Grid gas leak: (800) 640-1595
  • National Grid power outage: (800) 465-1212

Off-Campus Residents: FAQ From National Grid

What is the process to restore gas service?
Restoring gas service will be a multiple day process. This is a methodical process that will take some time. For those that have lost service or need to have their service shut off, National Grid will need to go to their homes and ensure the meter is turned off. Once the system has fully stabilized, National Grid will need to go back into each of those homes to relight gas appliances. 

Do I need to be home in order for my gas to be restored?
Yes, however, if you are not at home when National Grid arrives to turn on your service, a door hanger will be left with instructions for contacting them to complete this step. They will then be out to relight promptly once called.

What should I do if I smell natural gas?
As always, if you smell gas in the house or suspect a leak in your home, you should call National Grid or 911. As every report of a gas leak is a potentially hazardous situation, they recommend you evacuate the premises and wait for authorities to arrive. Keep this in mind if you suspect a leak:

  • Leave the premise immediately.
  • Leave windows and doors as they are.
  • Do not touch any electrical or light switches, doorbells, phones or anything that could cause a spark such as any appliances or thermostats.
  • Do not turn any electrical equipment on or off.
  • Do not pull plugs from outlets.
  • Extinguish any open flames such as lit candles.
  • If you have a gas range or oven make sure the controls are turned off.