We finally closed on our SF brownstone! National Grid is telling me that aanything with more than 3 stories requires a non-residential account. Is this true?


Comments

  1. National Grid appears to be engaging in some shenanigans. Our four-unit condo recently changed banks, and when we contacted National Grid to update the bank info for automatic billing, they insisted that while we had been considered a residential account before, we were now considered a commercial account. They also charged us a $500+ “security” deposit, which they said we’d get back when we closed the account. Now, short of some disaster that burned the building to the ground, I can’t imagine a situation where we’d ever close the account. When we refused to pay the security deposit, they added it as a “late payment” on our bill, and then threatened to shut off the gas if we didn’t pay. (Actually, they threatened to “notify [our] tenants” of an impending gas shut-down. Do they not understand the concept of a condominium? And that we don’t have tenants?)

    This just seems wrong on so many levels. I can understand that a four-unit rental building would be considered commercial real estate, but four condominiums is not the same thing — this is a building that consists of four separate single-family homes. We just happen to share a common water heater, and also use gas to heat the common hallways. More to the point, this is not a new account. We’ve had an account with National Grid (formerly Keyspan) for many years, obviously. Finally, how are they allowed to consider a newly-assessed security deposit as a late payment?

    Anyone else have a similar experience? And is there any other gas service provider in Brooklyn, or are we stuck with National Grid?

  2. I’ve never heard NG ask the number of stories, but only the number of units. Are you sure the rep understood that your house is a single family? Was it a multifamily previously? If so, they might require a copy of the new Certificate of Occupancy before adjusting your account. Might be worth an in-person visit to their office at One Metrotech and/or a phone conversation with a supervisor prior to that.

  3. OH, “SF” means “single family”, OF COURSE! As a Lefferts Manor [with our “SF” covenant] stalwart, I’m mortified that I didn’t get the connection 🙁

    I hope I’m right about the story count, but I do wonder what happens with 5 story [that is 4 story plus basement] houses. None in my neighborhood, but I think there are some on 8th Avenue in Park Slope, some of which might be single family.

  4. Sorry to be unclear. I meant single family. I think Bob Marvin might be right on the story issue. I told National Grid it is 4 stories, which includes the garden level “basement”, but not the underground cellar. I will call them back! Thanks!

  5. OK, I Googled “SF” and got many definitions, none of which make sense in contest–please enlighten me:

    Standard Form
    Special Forces
    Super Frame
    Science Fiction
    Service Flow
    Standard Forms
    San Francisco
    Signal Fail
    single frequency
    Sign Flag
    speculative fantasy
    Square Foot
    safety factor
    Sampled Filter
    scarlet fever
    Security Forces
    Service Feature
    Service Field
    Signal Failure
    signal frequency
    Sliding Filter
    Slope Factor
    Spent fuel
    spinal fluid
    star field
    Store and Forward
    subcontractor furnished
    Super Frames
    Super-Frame Format
    Fleet Submarine