As required by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Alliant Energy is notifying you that an excess flow valve (EFV) is available for installation on your natural gas service line. Please note, such a device is not required for the normal, safe operation of your service line, but it could help mitigate the consequences of a service line failure if the line breaks or is severed.
Safety Benefits
An EFV is a safety device designed to automatically stop the flow of natural gas if the flow of gas through the device exceeds a pre-determined rate. The device is normally installed at or near the service line's connection to the gas distribution main. It protects against the uncontrolled escape of natural gas should the downstream line be broken or severed. These devices do not protect against slow leaks such as those caused by minor service line punctures, corrosion, loose fittings, or leaks beyond the gas meter (such as leaks on appliances or house piping).
The EFV’s primary goal is to avoid service line incidents caused by accidental excavation damage. While the use of an EFV may help minimize the risk of such an incident, the best protection against such incidents is to ensure you or anyone planning to excavate on your property calls 811 to request a free locate of buried facilities.
Qualification and Cost of Installation
If you are an Alliant Energy natural gas customer in Wisconsin and have a service line that does not have an EFV installed, you may request the installation of an EFV if your current connected load is less than 1,000 SCFH (standard cubic feet per hour).
- A typical single family residential customer load is usually less than 250 SCFH.
- Multi-family residences or commercial customers will require a load analysis to determine if the connected load falls below 1,000 SCFH.
Service lines connected to a gas distribution system operating at a pressure of less than 10 psig are not eligible, as EFVs are not designed to operate at these lower pressures.
If you meet the above qualification requirements and would like to have an EFV installed in an existing natural gas service line, we will complete such an installation for you. It should be noted that you will be responsible for 100% of the cost of installation. The estimate for the basic installation shown below covers the cost of installation labor and materials, including soft-surface restoration (dirt and grass seed). It does not include cost(s) associated with adverse conditions such as hard-surface restoration (paving or sidewalk replacement), underground obstacles (other utilities, tree roots, etc.) or frost charges for winter installation. If encountered, these additional costs would also be your responsibility.
Typical estimated installation costs:
Basic Installation Cost Estimate:
- Existing plastic service line – $900
- Existing steel service line – $1,000
Other Estimated Costs (if required):
- Hard surface restoration – $200 to $350 (100% customer responsibility)
- Frost charges – $200 (100% customer responsibility)
- Underground Obstacles – $200 (100% customer responsibility)
If you meet the above qualifications and agree to the estimated costs, the installation will be completed on a mutually agreeable date.
If you add significant load due to additional gas appliances, such as an on-demand water heater, pool/spa heater or fire pit, the additional gas appliances may make your total gas demand too high for your current gas meter and may affect the operation of your EFV.
As with any mechanical device, an EFV may malfunction, thereby causing a temporary loss of natural gas service. Should such a malfunction occur at any point following installation, Alliant Energy will be responsible for all repair or replacement costs. Alliant Energy makes no warranties, expressed, implied or otherwise, for continued proper excess flow valve operation under any use conditions and/or for inadvertent valve closure under varying gas system operating conditions.
Please contact Alliant Energy at 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268) for more information or to arrange for installation of an EFV.