Nov 4, 2024 | Reliability
We’re committed to delivering reliable power no matter what the weather brings – a commitment that is rooted in year-round preparation.
Over the past decade, we have made significant investments to build a stronger, smarter and more resilient grid. From clearing vegetation around power lines and replacing aging equipment to installing state-of-the-art grid technology, we’re dedicated to keeping the lights on for our customers.
While we prepare for winter storm season, we have tips to help you prepare and stay safe as well.
Storm Safety
However, even with the best preparation and information, storms and severe weather can cause damage and result in outages. Adjust alert preferences to receive a phone call, text or email at pplelectric.com/alerts to stay informed during a storm.
If you experience an outage, report it by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL, by visiting pplelectric.com/outage or texting “Outage” to TXTPPL.
A few other important storm safety tips to remember:
- Charge your phones and other devices in advance of a storm so they are fully powered.
- Keep generators far from buildings and do not operate them in confined spaces, such as garages.
- Stay away from any downed wires and always assume they are live and carry electricity. Report downed wires by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL.
Winter Energy Savings
Easy, inexpensive tips to help you save energy and money when the temperature declines:
- Leave your curtains and blinds open. During the day, capture the sun’s light and heat to gain warmth from the sun. At night, close your curtains and blinds to prevent that free heat from escaping.
- Prevent fireplace heat loss. Keep the damper closed when you’re not using your fireplace so warm air doesn’t escape through the chimney. Energy-efficient fireplace grates also help you save by pulling cool air out of your room and into the fireplace while bringing warm air back into the room.
- Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Yes, fans can also keep you warm. Flip the switch to change the direction of the blades so they spin clockwise and pull warm air downward.
- Winterize windows and doors. Inspect all your doors, windows and ductwork for gaps that could leak heat from your home. Many of these cracks and leaks can easily be fixed with caulk and weatherstripping.
- Adjust your thermostat. When you’re home and awake, set the heat as low as it feels comfortable. Aim for 68 degrees as an optimal temperature. Wearing warmer clothing or grabbing a blanket can help keep you cozy. While you’re sleeping or out of the house, lower the thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees. Lowering the thermostat for at least eight hours can save up to 10% on your heating bill. A programmable thermostat will make it even easier to save.
The winter can be unpredictable and unforgiving, but our team is always ready to respond. Our grid is strong, reliable and evolving, and our employees are committed to keeping you safe and warm this winter.
Reliability investments like developing these first-of-its-kind resistance drills help us reduce costs and keep the lights on for our 1.5 million customers. These drills help measure decay on both the inside and outside of utility poles to assess their health and identify when poles need to be replaced.
Jun 27, 2024 | Storms and Outages
Severe storms brought damaging winds and lightning across our entire 29-county service territory late Wednesday afternoon into the evening. We have seen significant damage from downed trees and limbs that caused nearly 1,300 individual damage locations. Since the storm began more than 145,000 customers experienced a power outage.
Our crews continue to work around the clock as safely and quickly as possible to restore all customers. As of 3 p.m. (6/28), we have restored power to more than 137,500 customers and about 7,600 of our 1.5 million customers remain without power.
We have hundreds of personnel responding to the storm, providing both field-based and back-office emergency response operations across our service territory. This includes lineworkers, foresters, damage assessors and call center staff. In preparation for the storm, we brought in more than 600 workers from outside our company to assist in restoration efforts. Due to the extent of the damage, we have obtained additional crews, increasing that number to nearly 1,000. Due to the extent of the damage, this has been a multi-day restoration effort.
We have assigned estimated restoration times (ERTs) for areas in our territory. Because of the scope of repairs, full restoration could extend through Saturday afternoon for some customers, although many customers will have their power restored sooner. As crews are dispatched to specific jobs within a region, customers may receive an updated ERT.
Safety is a core value for us. Remember, should you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized and stay away. Report downed wires to PPL Electric or local emergency response agencies.
While we continue to our work, we encourage our customers to remain connected and stay safe with these tips:
Stay connected
- Report power outages online at pplelectric.com or text “Outage” to TXTPPL (898775).
- Sign up for alerts to stay connected and receive outage updates at pplelectric.com/alerts.
- Check the status of an outage and estimated restoration times online at pplelectric.com/outage.
- For information on storm safety, outage restoration priorities and more, visit pplelectric.com/outage
Stay safe:
- Remember, should you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized and stay away. Report downed wires to PPL Electric or local emergency response agencies.
- Never operate a portable generator in an enclosed area, like a garage, where deadly carbon-monoxide fumes could accumulate.
- Always use flashlights instead of candles as they can start fires.
- Turn off appliances that were on when the power went off.
- Create alternate plans if you have a medical condition that relies on electricity or call 9-1-1 for assistance.
- Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.
- For your safety and ours, please keep a safe distance from our crews.
Ice and Water:
Customers who have been without power for 24 hours or more can purchase ice and water from any local vendor at their expense and send us receipts. Once received, we will credit those costs back to the customer’s account. Each customer can purchase a maximum of three 10-pound bags of ice and three gallons of water per day. Customers should mail their receipts and account number to:
PPL Electric Utilities
Attention: Ice and Water
827 Hausman Road
Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104
Jun 23, 2024 | Storms and Outages
PPL Electric Utilities crews are working to make repairs for customers who are without power due to the storms that occurred Saturday.
As of 9:00 a.m. Sunday (6/23), approximately 6,400 of our 1.5 million customers were without power.
Since the storms began Saturday (6/22), we have restored power to more than 33,000 customers.
Current predictions for pop-up storms Sunday may result in additional outages. Remember, if you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized, stay away and report it immediately.
If you lose power, report the outage online at pplelectric.com or text “Outage” to TXTPPL (898775).
Staying cool in the heat:
We understand it’s never easy to be without power, especially during times of high heat. We urge our customers to stay safe in extreme heat situations. Seek out cool places — shopping malls, libraries or public cooling centers — to avoid the heat. Also, drink plenty of fluids, stay informed, and check on elderly family members or neighbors.
Stay safe:
Please stay safe and keep the following safety tips in mind:
- If you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized and stay away.
- Candles can start fires. If you lose power, use flashlights instead.
- If you lose power and are using a portable generator, never operate the generator in an enclosed area, like a garage, where deadly carbon monoxide fumes could accumulate.
- We encourage customers who have medical conditions requiring electricity to make arrangements in case of an outage.
- If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off.
- For your safety and ours, please keep a safe distance from our crews.
Sep 25, 2023 | Energy Future
If you’re thinking about adding solar panels to your home or business to reduce energy use, save money and improve the environment, you’re not alone.
We’re here to help.
More than 4,500 distributed energy resources, such as solar panels, have been added to our electrical system in 2023, a 224-percent increase over what was added during the same period in 2022. Most residential customers, through our online automated interconnection process, can get approval to interconnect solar panels or other distributed energy resources to the grid in fewer than 24 hours.
Our checklist for distributed energy resources takes the guesswork out of interconnecting to the grid. Check out the key steps to take during each phase – application, design, scheduling and construction – of your project.
Innovation for a cleaner energy future
We’re committed to supporting a clean energy future while providing reliable and affordable power for all of our customers. We’ve implemented smart delivery platforms that balance two-way flows of power to better manage the addition of solar panels and other distributed energy resources (DER). This technology allows for monitoring and active management of every interconnected DER. We can detect voltage or power quality issues affecting customers and correct them remotely.
It’s similar to our innovative smart grid system, which allows us to monitor and make system adjustments remotely, and has improved reliability, notably by helping us avoid more than 1.4 million power outages.
Since 2021, we’ve evaluated hundreds of types of inverters on the market to help ensure that they can all be used seamlessly without adversely affecting the grid. An inverter is an essential part of solar energy system equipment that converts the direct current (DC) electricity generated by solar panels to alternating current (AC) electricity that is used on the electric grid.
Customers and installers now have many approved inverter options for their solar installations.
We’re also making use of a new device that we have designed in house to help manage the power quality of distributed energy resources.
“We’ve set ourselves up well for a time when all of our customers will be using solar power and are building the foundation for the grid of the future now,” said Bashar Jarrah, manager of operations engineering and DER management.
“We took on an innovative pilot project knowing how important distributed energy resources were to our customers and the grid and we’re well positioned to deliver for our customers in the future. We are a true learning organization.”
We’re proudly supporting Pennsylvania’s vision of renewable energy growth to address climate and sustainability objectives, while continuing to provide safe and reliable service to our customers.
Sep 5, 2023 | Energy Efficiency
In an average home, heating accounts for nearly half of the energy used, making efficiency even more important. If your home’s equipment is more than 10 to 15 years old or needs frequent repairs, it could be time to replace it with new, more energy-efficient technology.
Smart energy upgrades to your home heating system could save you money by significantly reducing the energy you use while maintaining the comfort of your home. The ENERGY STAR® Home Upgrade includes the highest-impact, most energy-efficient improvements you can make in your home.
Air-Source Heat Pumps
Often used in mild climates, air-source heat pumps use the difference between outdoor and indoor air temperatures to heat your home.
Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pumps
Get high-efficiency heating with no existing ductwork required. Ductless mini-split heat pumps consume 60 percent less energy than standard home heating systems.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats make it easy to set an energy-saving schedule, control settings right from your smartphone and gain a better understanding of your energy use.
Heat Pump Water Heaters
Your water heater consumes 20 percent of your home’s energy. ENERGY STAR®-certified heat pump water heaters use 70 percent less energy, saving a household of four approximately $3,500 over its lifetime.
Rebates are available for upgrades to these ENERGY STAR®-certified products:
• Up to $450 on air-source heat pumps
• Up to $400 on ductless mini-split heat pumps
• Up to $400 off heat pump water heaters
• Up to $100 off smart thermostats
Our rebates lower the cost of high-efficiency solutions that save energy while keeping you and your family comfortable during the cold winter months.
Find the heating system that’s right for you and receive up to $450.
