Oct 19, 2020 | Diversity/Equity/Inclusion
There’s strength in diversity. That’s why it’s important for us to build and sustain a diverse workforce. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s good business.
We also believe in promoting diversity outside of PPL. And we want to make sure the companies that supply us with products and services reflect our core value of diversity and inclusion.
We have a supplier diversity program to source and promote suppliers of all backgrounds, including businesses owned by women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, veterans, and persons with disabilities.
The program is making an impact. Since 2016, our spending with diverse businesses has nearly tripled!
And the future looks bright. We recently named a new leader of our supplier diversity initiatives, Sandy Schrauger, and we’re committed to increasing our reliance on diverse suppliers in the years to come.
Is yours a diverse-owned business? Are you interested in partnering with us? Learn more about our Supplier Diversity Program.
Sep 28, 2020 | Customer Service
This year and the Coronavirus have brought on many new challenges for our communities. Since March, and the start of this global pandemic, we’ve connected with our customers millions of times. We knew our customers would depend on – and we delivered.
Here’s how we did it:
Over 6 million web self-service transactions — Doing business through our website accounts for the largest chunk of customer contacts. And why not? You can do so many things, including managing your account, applying for a payment agreement, learning great energy efficiency tips, and more.
Roughly 933,000 self-service transactions through our automated phone system — You can make a payment, report an outage, and even transfer your electric service in a few short minutes with our automated system.
Over 375,000 phone calls — Calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL is still a popular option among customers. Our representatives are always willing to help and give you the information you need, whether it’s about your bill, shopping for a supplier or updating your account preferences.
About 1,300 social media responses— Did you know we answer customer questions on Facebook and Twitter? We have a dedicated team ready to respond … and share the occasional WFH pet photos.
More than 3,600 chat interactions – Our dedicated chat agents are available to answer your questions as you navigate our website.
These numbers demonstrate our commitment to providing a remarkable experience, regardless of your preferred channel. Our goal is to make it as convenient as possible for you to conduct business with us- when and where you choose.
Whatever the remainder of 2020 throws our way – we’ll be here for you.
Sep 17, 2020 | Energy Future
There are more than 10,000 solar systems installed within our service area. With solar panels becoming more and more affordable, we know this is just the start.
In fact, the pace of new systems installed so far this year is already ahead of last year. And that’s a good thing!
Why? Because our grid is ready for more customers to produce power when the sun shines and the wind blows. Our grid is designed to help us effectively manage the flow of that new energy. Best of all, we’ve made it easy for you to apply to install systems that make power from the sun, or wind. Most applications get approval within a day.
Today’s power grid is vastly different than even a generation ago. We understand the importance of embracing the changing energy landscape which is shifting from a model that has existed since Thomas Edison.
Today, power is flowing in two directions — traditional power generation traveling to homes and businesses over transmission and distribution grids and power coming back onto the grid from end points like rooftop solar or wind turbines. By effectively managing that power flow we can help avoid more costly alternatives, like building new power lines or substations. That helps keep rates reasonable.
Considering installing solar or wind power where you live? Our state-of-the-art grid is ready to welcome you. We know you depend on us – and we deliver.
Visit our renewable energy page for the latest information.
Sep 1, 2020 | Reliability
Combine innovation with smart investment and good things happen.
In our case, a comprehensive installation of smart grid technology over recent years has allowed us to prevent more than 1.3 million customer outages since 2015. That’s a major milestone and one we believe can’t be equaled by any other electric utility in the country.
What is smart grid? It’s a combination of state-of-the-art automated sensors and switches, coupled with an advanced software system, that acts instantly to reroute power around a trouble location and reduce the outage footprint to the smallest possible area. Our lineworkers then respond to make the necessary repairs.
A million is a huge number, but what does it mean? We estimate that customers have avoided a total of 100 million minutes in the dark since 2015. That’s 190 years of time!
This achievement demonstrates how we’re using technology, innovation, and data to deliver more for you, our customers. It’s how we reliably power your home, business, and community each day. That’s peace of mind and value for your energy dollar.
We’re going to keep imagining, keep innovating and keep making our grid stronger, smarter, and more reliable and resilient. Here’s to the next million!
Jul 24, 2020 | Safety and Security
Installing a fence or mailbox post? Building an addition? Starting a big landscaping project?
There’s one thing you always need to do before you or your contractor start digging.
Call 8-1-1 for the Pennsylvania One Call System to help prevent contact with underground powerlines or other utilities.
The call ensures that a crew comes out to mark all the areas with spray paint, flags, or other identifiers where underground utilities exist, whether they be power lines, water lines, sewer lines or gas lines.
State law requires an 811 call before digging with any power equipment in Pennsylvania. That call must be placed three business days prior to a dig.
We recommend that an 811 call be placed for any digging activity, whether it is an old-fashioned shovel or powered machinery, to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Each year, we receive reports of about 60 to 75 digging incidents in which the person doing the digging failed to call 811. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission says that there are about 6,000 hits each year on underground utilities in the state overall.
If there’s construction going on in your neighborhood involving digging and you’re unsure whether an 811 call was placed, it never hurts to make that call just to be safe.
When calling 811, be prepared to share the following information:
- The county and municipality in which the planned dig is located.
- The street name and address.
- The nearest intersecting/cross street to the address.
- Details of the dig site, including the area of the property where excavation will occur and what kind of work is being done.
- When the project is scheduled to take place.
- The name of the company doing the work (if applicable).
For more information on safe digging, visit pa1call.org.
