UGI Energy Services Blog

Those of us around the office know Patrick. We know of his quiet, polite manner. We know that we can rely on him to help us understand the energy market. Most of us know that he was born and raised in Ghana. Some of us even know that he went to university in the Soviet Union during the perestroika era. But none of us really knew his true story of how he came from such a humble beginning, and of the incredible tenacity, determination, and, yes, a little bit of luck, that brought his brilliant mind to the team at UGI Energy Services.

Until the publication of his book.

It is Engineer’s week! Every year, February 19-25th, engineers all over the world are celebrated. This special week is devoted to celebrating how engineers make a difference in our world, adding a voice to the conversation about the need for engineers, technicians and technologists, and engaging students in the world of engineering. 
“Founded by NSPE in 1951, Engineer’s Week (EWeek) is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Today, this is a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. Dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers' positive contributions to quality of life, EWeek promotes recognition among parents, teachers, and students of the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science, and technology literacy, and motivates youth, to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse and vigorous engineering workforce. Each year, EWeek reaches thousands of schools, businesses, and community groups across the U.S.” (https://www.nspe.org/resources/partners-and-state-societies/engineers-week) 

Today, November 11^th, we observe a historic day with deep significance, Veterans Day. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, explains the meaning of this day as “…A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.” We are proud to honor all our veterans and thankful for our internal Veteran Employee Team (VET) that works hard all year long to support the communities where we live and work. UGI Energy Services is proud to honor the bravery and patriotism of our veteran community. We thank them for their dedication and service to our country. As a company, we strive to honor and support our veteran community in a variety of ways. We are proud to share the activities that our VET team has engaged in over the past year.

Did you know that last month was National Safety Month? In 1996, the National Safety Council (NSC) established June as National Safety Month in the United States. The goal of this Summer Safety Month is to increase public awareness of the leading safety and health risks that are increased in the summer months to decrease the number of injuries and deaths at homes and workplaces. The areas of safety are split into 4 parts: musculoskeletal disorders, workplace impairment, injury prevention and slips, trips and falls. In the summer months, we typically see more dehydration and other heat-related illnesses due to the warm temperatures, car accidents and fatalities due to higher traffic volumes from vacationing, injuries from outdoor activities such as the swimming pool or bicycling, and more. By putting emphasis on these areas of safety in the workplace, an employer as well as the employee can protect themselves from injury or harm. Knowing that the following 4 areas are prominent when it comes to the workplace, one can focus on their prevention through education and training.

Today, April 28^th, is World Day for Safety and Health at Work! Maintaining a safe and secure workplace is an important part of UGI Energy Service’s commitment to safety and wellbeing for our employees. Together as a team, we can prevent work place accidents from happening to assure injuries do not take place. Awareness and continuous training are ways that we make sure our employees know what safety measures should be taken at all times. Each one of us is responsible to not only protect ourselves, but ensure we do not endanger others as well. A safe workplace is a happy workplace, as it provides employees the environment to effectively do their jobs.

We are delighted to celebrate both our earth and volunteers this week! This week we honor Earth Day and National Volunteer Week. These two observances go hand in hand, as we use our planet as the vessel for many of our volunteer activities. We have been busy recently, participating in activities to help our planet and community. At UGIES, we value our volunteers and the work they do within our community. We thank our employee volunteers for taking action and giving back to the places we call home.

Well wishes are in order, it’s our anniversary! March 17^th marks the anniversary of the creation of UGI Energy Services in 1995. We are celebrating 27 years in the Energy Marketing & Midstream business! 

And just like that, 2021 has come to a close! What a whirlwind of a year it has been, and yet we have managed to make it one to remember. Before we jump into the plans we have for the New Year, we would like to reflect on the impact we have made throughout our communities over the past year.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season draws near, it is a perfect time to reflect on all we have to be grateful. This is the time of year to count our blessings, and give back to those that may not have the same advantages that we do. Supporting our local communities through the United Way is one of the ways UGI Energy Services employees give back. From providing monetary donations to volunteering, hundreds of thousands of people in Berks County are served through 80 programs at 33 partner agencies supported by the United Way. Each year, UGI Energy Services campaigns to raise money to support the United Way. The campaign includes a loaned campaign specialist (LCS) from our business, giving out incentives to encourage donations, creating videos on why we should donate, and more. As the year comes to a close, the final results of our United Way campaign are here!

Most people associate March 17^th with Irish heritage and all things green, but here at UGI Energy Services, we have another reason to celebrate. March 17^th marks the anniversary of the creation of UGI Energy Services in 1995. If you are counting the years in your head, that totals 26 years in the Energy Marketing & Midstream business!