Utility Company Issue Keeps OKC Man From Rebuilding Home

The May 20 tornado wiped out his home, now he tells News 9 rebuilding has also left him floored.

Saturday, November 16th 2013, 11:10 pm

By: News 9


The May 20 tornado wiped out his home, now he tells News 9 rebuilding has also left him floored. 

Steven Housley started rebuilding in southwest Oklahoma City a month after May 20, and he says everything was going smoothly. Except for one problem, there's no gas running in the house. And the builder won't continue until there is.

"It doesn't take that much to dig a ditch a lay a pipe," Housley said.

Housley says he's at his wit's end waiting for his gas company to turn on the gas to his newly rebuilt home.

"They told us two weeks ago, well it's going to be this week or next week, which was the end of this week, and nobody was ever out here," he said.

Housley's home off Santa Fe and 144t was destroyed in the May 20 tornado. His family rode out the storm in the bathroom. Now several months later, he's rebuilding his home in the same spot. He says Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) came out in September to set up a few pipes and he hasn't seen them since.

"And since then, it's like when you call them they say they're still discussing how we're going to do it. We don't know how we're going to do it," he said.

Housley says he calls ONG constantly and keeps getting the runaround.

News 9 called ONG's customer service line, and got this: "You can talk to a service representative Monday through Friday from 8 to 5."

To add more pressure, last week, Housley's builder told him he's stopping further construction until the gas is turned on.

"There is no reason I should have to call them every single day to get a product that I'm going to pay for to run to my house," Housley said.

Housley says he talked with an ONG representative on Friday, who told them they're still discussing how to set up his gas line.

News 9 spoke with an ONG spokesperson Saturday night, who says they're looking into the case.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

November 16th, 2013

March 22nd, 2024

March 14th, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024