Students across Pennsylvania are getting a “charge” out of our electrical safety theater program!
They’re laughing, repeating electrical safety tips and learning valuable lessons about how to stay safe near electricity.
It’s the sixth year that we’ve partnered with The National Theatre for Children to offer this program to schools in our territory. There’s no fee for the schools to participate; the only requirement is a crowd of young minds eager to learn about electricity!
During March, we’re sharing these lessons at more than two dozen schools with performances of “Agents of Safety.” Nearly 10,000 children from Scranton to Allentown and Harrisburg to Williamsport will see the performance this month. The show teaches students how electricity is made, the uses of electricity and helps them identify dangerous electrical situations. Teachers are also given materials on electrical safety to share with their students prior to the performances.
By the time the final show takes place in the Mechanicsville area on March 20th, PPL will have shared the safety program with more than 90,000 students since 2015! That’s a lot of kids increasing their electrical safety IQ.
It’s winter storm season in Pennsylvania. Even if you don’t tune into the weather reports, you’ll recognize the signs of an impending storm by the parking lot of your local grocery store.
So how can you prepare in advance and stay safe when a winter storm strikes? We have some tips that will help before, during and after the snowfall.
Before:
Create a household and vehicle emergency kit with all the essentials, including water, food and any medication you take on a daily basis.
Listen for weather alerts and advisories so you’re not caught unprepared.
Charge your cell phone and keep a flashlight nearby in case of a power outage.
During:
Stay off the roads. This helps clear traffic for first responders.
If you have a generator, make sure to follow our Emergency Tips for storm and generator safety.
Stay warm and indoors. It’s a great time to pile on the blankets and cuddle up with a good book.
After:
When shoveling snow, dress warm and limit your time outside to avoid frostbite and overexertion.
Monitor the weather alerts and advisories before heading out on the road.
The Department of Homeland Security offers even more information on staying safe during snowstorms. Check out their resources at ready.gov/winter-weather.
However you celebrate the holidays this year, either with close family members or furry friends, we want to help you avoid the safety risks associated with the most wonderful time of the year.
Holiday decorating, cooking, and shopping should be enjoyable, not hazardous. Here are a few tips to keep you safe during the hustle and bustle of the holidays:
When hanging your holiday lights and decorations be sure you don’t overload a power strip.
Use electrical socket or light timers so you’ll never forget to turn off the lights.
As you’re preparing a delicious meal, move items that can burn away from the stove. This includes dishtowels, paper boxes or bags from your groceries. Cooking is the leading cause of all winter house fires- so make sure you safety-proof your cooking area!
We all love fir-scented candles, but keep them 12 inches away from flammable items to prevent a fire.
As you surf the web for the ultimate gift, make sure you’re shopping with trusted retailers to avoid being scammed. Always be cautious for deals that are too good to be true.
From everyone at PPL, we wish you a safe and happy holiday!
Instead of distributing candy this Halloween, we’re dishing out energy-saving tips! This year’s treat is learning how to cut down on phantom load, or energy vampires, that suck up your power and result in wasted energy.
Energy vampires are small appliances or devices such as cell phone chargers, computers and coffee makers that drain energy when they’re plugged into outlets, but not being used. These sneaky monsters could cost you more than $100 each year!
So how can you avoid wasting energy and scare these vampires away for good? Simply unplug your small appliances and electronics when they’re not being used or when you’re away for the day.
We’ve never been afraid to experiment with new technology or implement innovative ideas if it means more reliable service for our customers.
So as soon as battery technology became more advanced, our engineers were excited to launch a program within the PPL territory, specifically along a line in the Harrisburg region that experienced outages in the past.
These batteries, connected to the grid, will instantly kick-in when customers are out of power and can keep the lights on for 6 hours or more!
The Harrisburg battery project is the first of its kind on the PPL grid and we’re already looking into other regions that would benefit from this technology.
This innovative solution is a huge plus for power quality and reliability for our customers. And batteries are just the start of ensuring a safer, more reliable and resilient grid.
