May 5, 2025 | Safety and Security
Working outdoors — whether you’re a homeowner doing some routine maintenance, a contractor managing a large project or anyone operating equipment near power lines — means safety should always come first. At PPL Electric Utilities, we remind you to “look up and live,” because awareness around overhead power lines can save lives.
Why awareness matters
You don’t have to touch a power line to be in danger. Electricity can jump, or “arc, “through the air. This invisible hazard means that simply getting too close can cause serious injury or even death.
Every year, hundreds of construction workers tragically lose their lives due to contact with electrical lines, according to OSHA. Don’t become a statistic.
Safety tips: Staying safe near overhead lines
Before beginning any outdoor project, large or small, always:
- Check your surroundings: Look up and around carefully before setting up ladders, scaffolding, cranes or using long tools.
- Keep a safe distance: We recommend at least a 10-foot minimum clearance for lines up to 50,000 volts. Higher voltage lines require even greater distance.
- Know your equipment: Understand the height and reach of cranes, ladders and extended tools. Always assume overhead power lines are energized.
- Use : When operating heavy equipment, have someone on the ground guiding you to avoid overhead hazards.
Special rules for specific equipment
- Cranes and heavy machinery: Follow OSHA’s strict clearance rules. Consider creating visual diagrams showing safe distances to enhance your team’s understanding.
- Ladders and tools: Carry them horizontally, not vertically. Store and use them far away from overhead lines.
What to do if contact occurs
If your equipment contacts a power line:
- Stay inside the vehicle until utility personnel confirm it’s safe to exit. Electricity could still be flowing.
- If you must exit due to fire or another emergency: Jump clear without touching the equipment and ground simultaneously. Land with both feet together and shuffle away, keeping feet close together.
Call before you dig — dial 811
Don’t forget about underground safety, too. Call 811 before starting any excavation project to have underground utilities marked safely.
Questions or concerns? We’re here to help.
Your safety matters most. Before you start working near power lines, contact PPL Electric Utilities at 1-800-342-5775. We’re ready to assist and ensure your project stays safe.
Visit pplelectric.com/safety, OSHA.gov and esfi.org for additional safety tips and resources.
Stay safe and stay aware – look up and live!
Apr 1, 2025 | Community Involvement
We enjoy giving back to our communities and neighbors in powerful ways, not because it looks good on paper, but because it is who we are. Aside from the warmth and liveliness of spring, it’s why we love April, one of the busiest months on our calendar.
The month of April will be busy once again in 2025, as we continue our 100-year commitment to serving eastern and central Pennsylvania. Here’s how we’ll be empowering our communities this month:
- 🌎 Caring for our environment: April is Earth Month, and Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. We will be taking part in a number of volunteer activities during the week of Earth Day, planting trees and sprucing up local parks in Harrisburg, Williamsport, Allentown, Bethlehem, Hazleton and Scranton.
- But before we head out for our Earth Day festivities, we’ll be in East Greenville on April 12 to clean up the Perkiomen Stream at the Kistler Bitting YMCA Park. We also are holding a family volunteer day event at the Wildlands Conservancy on April 12, where our employees will get to bring their families along to help beautify the conservancy’s nature preserves.
- 👨🏫 Supporting education: We know today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, so we support education year-round. April is a great example of what we do to aid curriculums throughout our service territory.
- On April 14, we will be hosting 75 students from the Allentown School District for an up-close look at careers in the energy industry. Students will learn about linework, cybersecurity, customer service, environmental management and more. Later in the month, we will also be hosting students from SUN Area Technical Institute for a tour of one of our service centers and to learn more about operations at PPL Electric Utilities.
- 💕 Giving and grants: Our grant programs help organizations throughout the 29 counties we serve inspire students and children, foster inclusion, encourage environmental stewardship and more. While our PPL Foundation team gets ready to notify this year’s recipients of Powering Equity Grants in May, we’re checking in with a pair of organizations that have already received funding from the PPL Foundation
- Another successful semester of the Student Career Exploration Co-Op Program is wrapping up at UPMC, where local high school students receive weekly hands-on nursing experience through the Susquehanna Health Foundation. The student-nurses will talk about all they’ve been able to learn through the program as they explore nursing as a career. Supporting STEM education is also something we strongly believe in. That’s why we’re excited to visit with our friends at Community Services for Children (CSC) in Allentown and watch their young students play and learn in CSC’s Innovation Lab. Funded in part by a PPL Foundation grant, the lab offers several hands-on learning activities.
Our employees give their time and money year-round to help nonprofit organizations, support sustainable communities and empower students and educators. We look forward to every opportunity to assist our neighborhoods, making April an especially exciting time. As spring begins to take over Pennsylvania, we look forward to springing into action throughout our communities!
Mar 5, 2025 | Reliability
We know you depend on us to power your life each day, and that’s a job we take seriously. It’s why we continuously work to make our grid stronger, smarter and more resilient to better withstand severe weather, prevent outages and accommodate increasing demands on our system.
From 2025 through 2028, we are investing nearly $6 billion in improvements across our 29-county service territory to help reduce both the number and length of outages while also supporting economic growth and development. The investments we are making include:
- Accelerating tree and limb trimming: expanding our tree trimming and vegetation maintenance efforts to reduce tree-related outages – the leading cause of outages.
- Strengthening our system: replacing aging infrastructure, adding stronger poles, pole-top equipment and wires and installing additional animal, avian and lightning guards throughout our service area.
- Expanding grid automation: installing additional smart grid devices, called reclosers, and sensors across the system to optimize the ability to remotely and automatically reroute power, decreasing the number of customers affected by an outage and the outage duration.
- Proactive inspection and maintenance: using a combination of visual, aerial, infrared and thermographic inspection techniques to determine the performance and health of the system and proactively replace aging or damaged equipment before an outage occurs.
At a time when our system is more challenged than ever by frequent severe storms, these multi-year investments will result in reliability improvements over time and enable us to deliver the power that our customers depend on.
Our commitment to you: we will continue to make upgrades to vulnerable areas of our system, inspect the grid, take corrective maintenance actions and expand system automation.
To learn more about our reliability improvements, visit pplelectric.com/Reliability.
Mar 4, 2025 | Safety and Security
This National Consumer Protection Week, we want to help you stay informed and protect yourself from common scams targeting utility customers.
Scammers are constantly finding new ways to deceive, often through threatening phone calls, fake websites, fraudulent emails, and even by impersonating our employees. Remember, we’ll never demand immediate payment or ask for sensitive information over the phone or in person.
Common scams and how to protect yourself
We want to help you keep your information safe and stop scammers in their tracks. Being vigilant, staying informed and guarding your personal information are your best defenses.
📱 Phone scams
Threats of disconnection
- What happens: Scammers posing as utility representatives may call and threaten immediate service disconnection if you don’t make an immediate payment, often demanding payment via prepaid debit card.
- How to protect yourself: We will never demand immediate payment over the phone. If you receive such a call, hang up and go directly to pplelectric.com or call us at 1-800-342-5775 to check your account status. Never provide personal information to unexpected callers.
Spoofed caller ID
- What happens: Scammers can manipulate caller ID to make it appear as though we’re calling you. They may impersonate customer service and demand payment or ask for your personal information.
- How to protect yourself: Hang up and call us directly at 1-800-342-5775. Never rely solely on the number displayed on caller ID.
📧Email and text (SMS) scams
Phishing and fake links
- What happens: Scammers may send emails or texts claiming your bill is past due, with links leading to fake payment pages designed to steal your personal data.
- How to protect yourself: Never click links or download attachments from unexpected emails or texts. Always go directly to pplelectric.com to access your account securely.
👷 In-person scams
Impersonators at your door
- What happens: Scammers may pose as PPL Electric employees, claiming they need access to your meter or demanding immediate payment.
- How to protect yourself: Always ask for a photo ID. PPL Electric employees will have an official ID badge and will never demand payment in person. For added security, contact us at 1-800-342-5775 to confirm an employee’s identity.
⚠️ Know the signs of scams
- Slow down: Take your time. Scammers pressure you to act fast.
- Verify: Scammers call from what may look like our phone number or come to your door with what appears to be an employee badge. Call 1-800-342-5775 to verify it’s really us.
- Stop: We never demand immediate payment, and we do not accept cryptocurrency, prepaid cards or third-party payment apps.
- Look out for suspicious emails: Watch for typos, unrecognized email addresses and strange links.
- Be careful with links: Fake websites can appear in search results. Always access pplelectric.com directly rather than through a search engine, ad or third-party link.
If you suspect a scam
- Stop and think: Scammers use urgency to push you into a quick decision. Take a moment to assess the situation.
- Contact authorities: Report the incident to your local police department or the FTC.
- Report to us: Call 1-800-342-5775 to report the scam attempt.
- Spread the word: Sharing your experience may help protect others in your community.
Stay vigilant and stay informed
We’re committed to protecting our customers and work closely with law enforcement to address scam threats. Visit pplelectric.com/scams for more information, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X for the latest scam alerts and updates.
- Remember, we will never: Demand immediate payment through phone, email, or in person.
- Request personal financial information, such as credit/debit card or checking account numbers.
- Require payment using prepaid cards, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers via third-party payment apps.
- Threaten to shut off your service unless immediate payment is made.
More information please visit pplelectric.com/scams
Jan 21, 2025 | Safety and Security
When temperatures drop, many of us reach for electric blankets and heating pads to stay warm and soothe cold-weather aches. While these devices offer wonderful comfort, using them safely is crucial. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), approximately 500 fires are caused each year by electric blankets and heating pads. Below are tips for enjoying their warmth while keeping your home and family safe.
Essential Safety Guidelines
When using electric blankets and heating pads, remember that comfort should never compromise safety. Here are the key things to know:
Keep them separate. Electric blankets and heating pads serve different purposes, and they are designed for specific uses. Never layer them together or substitute one for the other – this creates a dangerous fire hazard.
- Before you plug in, inspect these devices before each use to ensure there is no damage. Examine the cord for fraying, exposed wires, or other damage.
- Check for any discolored or worn spots on the fabric.
- Ensure all controls and connections are secure.
Smart Use Tips
- Avoid layering: Never pile additional blankets or objects on top of an electric blanket.
- Keep it flat: Don’t tuck electric blankets into mattresses or fold them while in use.
- Stay alert: These devices should never be left unattended or used while sleeping.
- Mind the settings: Start with lower heat settings and adjust as needed.
- Remember: While the warmth is comforting, falling asleep with these devices can be dangerous. Set a timer if you’re worried about forgetting to turn them off and consider using them to pre-warm your bed instead of keeping them on all night.
By following these guidelines, you can safely enjoy the cozy comfort of electric blankets and heating pads throughout the winter months. Your safety is worth the extra attention to detail!
