Aug 18, 2021 | Community Involvement, Environment
When you’re nearly four decades into teaching school children about the environment –and getting them to think critically about it – you have to be doing something right.
And, certainly, Pennsylvania Envirothon, through its annual competition for high school students, has built a reputation for educating youngsters in creative, innovative ways. And for inspiring a national competition.
It’s why the PPL Foundation has supported the organization for a quarter of a century. Most recently, we gave $4,800 to Envirothon in 2020 to help the nonprofit train coordinators for the annual event, which is a hands-on, natural resource problem-solving competition.
The event began in 1979 as a local competition for a handful of conservation districts and evolved into a statewide competition in 1984. It has remained a constant in Pennsylvania education since. So much so that the organization kept the tradition going with a virtual event during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program reaches more than 40,000 students each year.
Teams of five representing schools from across the state study natural resource categories, such as soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and current environmental issues. Each team spends time before the competition with their advisors to prepare. At the competition, they use teamwork to come up with solutions to environmental problems. This year’s champion – Pleasant Valley High School from Monroe County – moved on to the international event in Nebraska.
Ultimately, Envirothon’s goal is to develop knowledgeable, skilled, and dedicated youth who are willing and prepared to work towards achieving a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment. And that’s something we’re proud to support.
Aug 18, 2021 | Safety and Security
George Culbertson didn’t think twice when he came upon a horrific vehicle crash on Interstate 476 in Montgomery County.
On his way home from work, the field supervisor and third-generation firefighter did what he has so many times before. First, he used his Montgomery County radio to alert a dispatcher to the crash and the need for emergency help. Then, he rushed to the mangled vehicle to see how he could help whoever was inside.
And the driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was in dire need of help.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, the driver was trapped. He suffered serious injuries, including an amputated arm. Culbertson managed to get into the rear of the vehicle to speak to the man, assess his condition and the extent of his injuries, and ask a nurse, who happened to be at the accident scene, to immobilize his head and neck.
“Time was of the essence,” said Culbertson, who knew how critical it was to get the man medical help within the “golden hour” after the crash.
He contacted the rescue company and explained the man could not be taken out of the car without removing the doors and roof. Once they arrived, Culbertson grabbed a reciprocating saw and started removing the windshield. It took more than 40 minutes to remove the roof and doors using the Jaws of Life and get the victim safely into a medical helicopter to be transported to the hospital.
Culbertson was later informed that the man had his amputated arm surgically reattached at a trauma center.
Looking back on the day’s events, it was one of the worst vehicle crash scenes that he has ever seen in his 31 years as a volunteer firefighter.
“I just wanted to do the right thing,” he said. “I hope I gave this person the best chance of survival during what was probably the worst day of his life.”
We’re so proud of George’s heroic response.
Aug 17, 2021 | Customer Service
When you receive your PPL bill – or when you view it online – this month, you’ll notice it looks a little different.
We’ve made it easier than ever for you to view your balance, make payments and manage your energy use.
You gave us feedback on the existing design and we heard you loud and clear. This new version highlights the key components of your bill, the ones that are most important to you and have the potential to help you save.
- We’ve made the supply and delivery charges front and center, so you can easily view the price you’re paying for energy supply and compare it to the PPL price-to-compare.
- The new bill displays a year-over-year comparison of your energy use, so you can make more informed energy choices.
In addition to these changes, you can see your payment amount, payment due date, and more in one quick glance.
Want a step-by-step guide to viewing your new and improved PPL bill, click here.
And if you’re not already enrolled on paperless billing, now is the perfect time to give it a try. You can switch back to a paper bill at any time, but we think you’ll love how easy it is to view your bill online, get email and text alerts, and make payments. Plus, you won’t risk any paper cuts or have to deal with envelopes and stamps! Go paperless today.
Aug 15, 2021 | Storms and Outages
Customers who have been without power for 24 hours or more as a result of storms can now purchase ice and water from any local vendor and send us the receipts. If you send us your receipts, we’ll credit your account.
Each customer can purchase a maximum of three 10-pound bags of ice and three gallons of water per day.
Additional purchases will not be eligible for an account credit.
Please mail your receipts to:
PPL Electric Utilities
Attn: Ice and Water
827 Hausman Road
Allentown PA 18104
And don’t forget to include your account number.
Aug 11, 2021 | Community Involvement, Environment
We’re passionate about pollinators and the positive impact they have on our environment. Birds, bees, and butterflies are just a few of the pollinators that help sustain our ecosystem. And we’re committed to preserving and protecting them.
Since 2017, we have distributed more than 105,000 free trees through our Community Roots program to help preserve the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and promoting healthy waterways.
Now, we’re adapting our Community Roots efforts and focusing on giving these birds, bees, and butterflies a natural food source. A minty one, at that!
We’ll be providing free pollinator-friendly mountain mint, grown by Edge of the Woods Plant Nursery, at baseball games and farmers’ markets across our territory through the fall.
Visit pplelectric.com or follow us on social media for updates on our environmental programs and upcoming events near you.
Planting your own pollinators? Post a photo on Facebook, tag PPL Electric Utilities, and use the hashtag #MyPPLPollinatorPatch.
Thanks for joining us in our efforts towards a greener future!
