Terasen Gas brings more than 150 jobs to Burnaby with new customer contact
and billing operations centre

Centre is part of overall move to relocate customer service work back to B.C.

SURREY, BC, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Terasen Gas today announced plans for the location of a new customer contact and billing operations centre in the Lower Mainland. Burnaby will be home to the centre which will be located in a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold designated facility at Willingdon Park on Still Creek Drive.

This announcement follows the approval by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) earlier this year to move to an in-house customer service model with two new B.C.-based contact centres, and to establish a new customer information and billing system. The new contact centres and services are expected to be operational by January 2012.

"This locally-based customer contact and billing operations centre will provide an economic benefit to the community, creating approximately 150 to 200 new jobs in the Lower Mainland," said Michael Mulcahy, Executive Vice President, Customer and Corporate Services, Terasen Gas and FortisBC. "Our new contact centre is a part of our overall focus to serve our customers right here in B.C."

The facility was selected based on several factors including energy efficiency, size, proximity to amenities and its accessibility for future employees by foot, bike or public transportation. Terasen Gas will lease two floors in the building, covering approximately 50,000 square feet.

Located a short walk from the Gilmore and Brentwood Town Centre SkyTrain stations, the facility will include a designated shuttle service, offered by the business park, which can transport employees to and from both stations during peak hours. It is also in close proximity to Terasen Gas' Burnaby Operations Centre.

The building will be fitted to Terasen Gas' purposes beginning in January 2011. Recruiting and hiring of a local workforce with a strong customer focus will commence this fall and continue into 2011.

"This is great news for Burnaby," said Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan. "We are thrilled to welcome another Terasen Gas facility to our City and look forward to the many benefits their new office will bring to the community, including job opportunities."

The Interior contact centre, announced in December 2009, will be located in Prince George and will employ more than 100 people.

The establishment of the new centres is a change to how existing customer services are delivered to Terasen Gas customers. Currently, contact centre and billing functions are delivered through an outsourced arrangement. The new in-house customer services will provide Terasen Gas and its customers with a number of ongoing improvements, including:

    
    -   Communication and service channels beyond the current service options
    -   Consolidated billing and electronic payment capabilities for
        commercial customers
    -   Broader capabilities for customers to analyze their energy usage
    -   Greater flexibility for Terasen Gas to offer new services, including
        expanded energy efficiency and conservation programs, and adapt to
        changing customer needs as our market changes
    

To learn more about Terasen Gas, visit www.terasengas.com/

Terasen Gas is mainly composed of the operations of Terasen Gas Inc. and Terasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc., both indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. Fortis Inc., the largest investor-owned distribution utility in Canada, serves approximately 2,100,000 gas and electric customers and has total assets exceeding $12 billion. Its regulated holdings include Terasen Gas and electric utilities in five Canadian provinces and three Caribbean countries. Fortis Inc. owns non-regulated hydroelectric generation assets across Canada and in Belize and upper New York State. It also owns hotels and commercial real estate in Canada. Fortis Inc. shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com or www.sedar.com

For further information: Media Contact: Kirsten Walker, Corporate Communications Manager, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Follow us at: www.twitter.com/terasengas