Joanne Reid and Jane Kilpatrick.

Hillsborough resident, Joanne Reid, recently became the first customer to connect to the Phoenix Natural Gas network in the town as part of a major £60 million extension project to bring natural gas to 13 towns across County Down.

Having constructed the natural gas pipeline earlier this year in the town centre, Phoenix Natural Gas has since completed the distribution build programme in over 75% of the town, with some 1,200 properties now able to connect to the natural gas network.

Jane Kilpatrick, Energy Advisor at Phoenix Natural Gas said, “As the dedicated Phoenix Natural Gas representative for the area, I am delighted that customers in Hillsborough are now able to connect to the natural gas network and I congratulate Joanne on being the first customer to install natural gas in her home.

“We have seen a strong interest and uptake from customers in Hillsborough and I look forward to connecting even more customers ahead of Christmas and into 2018. It’s great to see that people here are switched on to the benefits of natural gas and enjoying warmer, cosier homes this winter.”

Speaking about her experience using natural gas, Joanne Reid said, “I had oil heating in my home for many years but the system was becoming inefficient and performing poorly. The timing couldn’t have been better though as natural gas had just become available in the area so I used the opportunity to upgrade my heating system and install natural gas.

“After contacting Phoenix Natural Gas I was delighted to learn that the whole connection and installation process would take around two days to complete and I was delighted at how straightforward the whole process was, with a quick and tidy job finished to a high standard.

“My home is now so much cosier, with instant warmth and a constant supply of hot water. The freedom with natural gas is fantastic- I don’t need to worry about re-ordering or running out of fuel and I am enjoying the extra space I have in my home and garden having removed my old oil tank and boiler. I will certainly be recommending Phoenix Natural Gas to my family, friends and neighbours.”

Hillsborough is the second town to have natural gas available for homes and businesses in the area as part of the expansion project, with the towns of Anahilt, Ballygowan, Ballynahinch and Hillsborough now connected to the network. Additional towns set to benefit from natural gas include Castlewellan, Crossgar, Downpatrick, Dromore, Drumaness, Dundrum, Newcastle, Saintfield and Spa.

For more information on the benefits of natural gas visit www.phoenixnaturalgas.com.