Lineworkers compete for a cause

Lineworkers compete for a cause

Jul 14, 2021 | Community Involvement

Keeping the lights on for everyone- in the heat and the cold, when it’s raining or snowing, or even on a blue sky day – is no easy task.

Working in the field requires agility, strength and focus, and commitment to safety above all else.

Earlier this summer, 10 of our lineworkers put their skills to the test in the 9th annual Lineman Rodeo, organized by the National Sisterhood United for Journeyman Linemen (NSUJL), in Hazleton. The two-day event raised money for the families of fallen or injured IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) lineworkers and other electric utility employees.

The PPL crew participated in several events that test their skills against colleagues from utilities, including Speed Climb, Hurtman Rescue, and others. Our linemen and their teams placed in six of the events.

Congratulations to all the competitors!

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, meow and furever

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, meow and furever

Jun 30, 2021 | Safety and Security

Safety is a core value for us at PPL. Because of that, we have many procedures in place to keep employees safe on the job. One particular safety procedure, referred to as “circle for safety,” requires that employees check the surroundings of their company vehicle before getting in and driving away.

Recently, one of our dedicated lineworkers, Joe Keeney Jr., prevented the loss of an animal’s life by circling his work vehicle for safety.

It all started with an unidentified noise…

Joe heard a strange sound coming from his vehicle and couldn’t figure out what it was. He saw nothing unsafe or unusual, but as he stepped back and paused, he heard the noise again. However, he was still unable to locate where the strange sound was coming from.

He enlisted the help of a coworker to see if there was something he missed. As the two examined the vehicle, they heard the noise again, but this time they identified the source.

As it turns out, Joe’s work truck had picked up a furry hitchhiker. A small kitten crawled underneath the truck and up onto the drive shaft to stay warm.

kitten in backyard

And boy was this kitten a cute one! For those wondering, Joe and his wife, Laura, adopted the kitten and named it Kilowatt.

We’re so proud of Joe for his questioning attitude, safety mindset, and vigilance, which ultimately saved Kilowatt’s life.

 

 

 

 

Keeping Lines Clear, Reducing Outages

Keeping Lines Clear, Reducing Outages

Jun 24, 2021 | Reliability

Trees are the number one cause of storm-related outages. That’s why we take a proactive approach to keeping lines clear.

Thanks to the combined efforts of our vegetation management program, in 2020, we reduced tree-related outages by 14 percent over the prior year.

Here’s how we do it:

Routine trimming

We trim trees across 33,000 miles of overhead power lines to reduce the risk of outages. We have an established time- and- condition based maintenance program to make sure we’re trimming trees at the right times. We also use data analytics and innovative technology to identify the areas with a higher probability of tree-caused outages.

Don’t attempt to trim or remove trees near our lines on your own. Our qualified line clearance tree trimmers have specialized training to work around our power lines. If you want to remove a tree growing within 10 feet of a power line, call us first.

Goodbye hazard trees

Imagine how difficult and dangerous it is when a large tree brings down power lines in a storm. Assessing the damage, clearing the area for safe repairs, and restoring power to those impacted by a downed line can take hours.

That’s why we proactively remove hazard trees that pose a threat of falling and damaging our lines with permission from the property owner. The removal of these trees in advance of a storm prevents significant damage, removes a safety risk for the public and our employees, and reduces the likelihood of power outages.

In addition to tree trimming, we install animal guards, inspect and maintain our lines and equipment, and continue to improve our smart grid technology to provide you with reliable service all throughout the year.

 

Improving reliability & feeding Tatu

Improving reliability & feeding Tatu

Jun 24, 2021 | Environment

Each and every year, we conduct tree trimming throughout our service territory to help maintain reliable service and prevent outages. While getting the customers the power they need is certainly our main focus, one of the unique benefits of successful tree trimming is feeding animals like Tatu, the giraffe, at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Giraffe at the zoo eating tree branches

Instead of ending up in a chipper, the smaller branches and tree debris we collect through our vegetation management program are donated to help feed the animals. Tatu, and his other leaf-loving friends at the zoo, can enjoy this especially delicious fare that assists in keeping the animals’ digestive systems running smoothly.

Trees are the number one cause of storm-related power outages, which is why we have an established time-and-condition based maintenance program to make sure we’re trimming trees at the right time.

In 2020 alone, we reduced tree-related outages by 14 percent from the prior year. This work is essential to keeping the lights on and great for curbing Tatu’s appetite.

It’s moving season

It’s moving season

Jun 24, 2021 | Customer Service

Summer is moving season in Pennsylvania. Whether you’re helping your child move into a new college house, trading your home for an apartment downtown, or building a house for your growing family, we have tips to make transferring your electric service simple.

1. Ask your realtor or landlord for the meter number at your new residence so there’s no confusion about the address.

2. Confirm with prior tenants or homeowners when they are planning to request to stop service in their names. Then you can request the same date to prevent a gap in service.

3. Decide which of the following requests works best for your family:

  • Start service: You can start service at any address within our territory without stopping service at another property.
  • Stop service: Moving out of the area? You can simply stop your existing service and we’ll send you a final bill.
  • Transfer service: Stop service at your existing property and start service at a new home with just a few clicks.

4. Visit pplelectric.com/moving up to 40 days before you move to process a request to start, stop or transfer your electric service.

New! If someone requests to start service at your existing address, you may receive a text or email from us to confirm. If you’re moving, there’s no need to take action. If the change was requested in error, let us know so we can prevent a new customer from starting service at the wrong address.

Moving requests only take a few minutes on our website, so there’s no need to wait. Cross this off your moving to-do list and get back to packing!