Aug 11, 2023 | Reliability
Events like Musikfest in Bethlehem and the Little League World Series in Williamsport are some of the largest that take place in our area. And while a large amount of preparation and planning goes into them on the event side, PPL Electric Utilities is also busy preparing to make sure that these events are successful.
Before a song is played or a home run is hit, our team creates a plan that is as unique as each of the individual events we support. This includes contingency plans in the unlikely event that an outage occurs. Crews also conduct system checks that include things like power line patrols and infrared inspections — using advanced technology — to ensure that everything is working properly and that we catch any potential issues before they become a problem.
As each event begins, our control center operators keep a watchful eye for anything that may pop up and are well prepared to handle any issues thanks to operating software that allows access to all the event’s details and contingency plans that were prepared ahead of time.
And, while power outages can occur, our advanced smart grid can help to reroute power and help us more accurately and efficiently get crews to where they need to be for quicker repairs. In some cases, depending on the event, we often have crews stationed onsite to ensure everything goes smoothly.
“[PPL Electric] comes through and makes sure everything is ready to go,” said Greg Cryder, electrical bureau chief of the City of Bethlehem. “They test and verify that we don’t have problems. We depend on PPL Electric, and they deliver.”
Jun 16, 2023 | Energy Efficiency
Local kindergarten through eighth-grade students put their art and ideas on display in the annual Bright Ideas Energy Efficiency Student Poster Contest and Innovation Challenge. This annual event focuses on sustainability education and gives students the chance to share their art and creative ways to make a positive environmental impact.
Each student put together a unique poster to showcase ways they can save energy at home and in their daily lives. Before crafting their posters, students and teachers participated in an energy efficiency education presentation hosted by PPL Electric Utilities. The presentation covered all kinds of sustainable solutions, from recycling and turning off lights, to using solar power and renewable resources.
After the presentation, students used what they learned to create their masterworks in the form of bright, colorful and educational posters. While everyone who participated is a winner, a panel of judges from PPL Electric and the National Energy Foundation selected four grand prize winners and seven honorable mention teams to receive prizes and recognition. Prize funds also go back into the classroom through mini grants for teachers of the grand prize winners.
Students and teachers shared their thoughts on the event and the meaningful learning opportunities it presents each year.
“I love having my freshmen work with partners to complete a Think Energy Innovation project,” said Ms. Anne Bleistine from Lancaster Catholic High School. “It is a great way to promote curiosity about their own use of electricity and the greater world around them. The project promotes thinking skills, planning and execution to complete and share their project with classmates for editing and refinement.”
“PPL [Electric] has offered my school an engaging and informative presentation over the last few years,” said Ms. Erin O’Neill from Schnecksville Elementary. “Each year, my students and I look forward to this learning opportunity… This year, two of my students earned an honorable mention for their hard work and talent. As a reward, they both earned an Amazon gift card and a pizza and ice cream party for the class. My class unanimously declared it ‘The Best Day of the Year!’ PPL [Electric] did an outstanding job not only keeping my students informed but also sparking their creativity and finding ways to keep the conversation going throughout the year.”
PPL Electric is honored to once again be a partner and host of the Bright Ideas Energy Efficiency Student Poster Contest and Innovation Challenge. You can find the full list of winners for the 2023 contest below and see featured posters here. Congratulations to all the participants and winners! Looking to save energy in your own home? Explore ways to save.
Grades K – 2nd
Grand Prize: Conlan (Ms. Franceschelli, Moscow Elementary)
Honorable Mentions: Piper (Mrs. Moyer, Danville Primary School) and Cora (Ms. Simpson, Kratzer School)
Grades 3rd – 5th
Grand Prize: Sophia (Mr. Basom, Twin Valley Middle School)
Honorable Mention: Kylie (Mr. Druckenmiller, Lincoln Elementary), Gabriella & Jaxon (Mrs. O’Neill, Schnecksville Elementary)
Grades 6th – 8th
Grand Prize: Maggie (Mr. Abrams, Springhouse Middle School)
Honorable Mention: Joshua, Veda & Yihan (Mr. Abrams, Springhouse Middle School )
Innovation Winners
Grand Prize: Jadyn (Mr. Mazurek, Hazleton Area Academy of Science)
Honorable Mention: Isabel & Constance (Ms. Beistine, Lancaster Catholic High School), Ceci (Mrs. Stonikinis, Holy Cross High School)
Jun 1, 2023 | Community Involvement, Reliability, Safety and Security
Chris Bellis has a natural inclination to help others whenever the need arises.
It’s what makes his job as a lineworker so rewarding. When storms or other circumstances knock out power to PPL Electric Utilities customers, Bellis is determined to get their lights back on as safely and quickly as possible.
“When people are out of power, we need to fix it to make sure they can go about their lives,” said Bellis, a 16-year employee of PPL Electric. “It’s really very gratifying to be able to help someone else.”
And that goes beyond his job. Bellis can recall a number of situations where he’s gone out of his way to lend a hand, whether it be helping someone at a traffic accident or helping a motorist change a tire.
Perhaps his most memorable helping moment came on Christmas Eve in 2021 when a normal day at work took a dramatic turn in seconds.
Bellis was driving on Hamilton Street in Allentown from one job to another when he noticed the area around him seemingly became foggy. It didn’t take him long to realize it was smoke.
“As I looked to my left, I could see smoke and flames coming out of a house,” he said.
He didn’t hesitate. He found a safe place to park, called 911 and then went toward the house to make sure anyone inside was able to get out.
“The 911 operator asked if anyone was in the house. I went to the back door and there was a lady coming out,” Bellis said. “I escorted her out of the house and got her into a warm vehicle. I then did my job by shutting off the power to the house so that firefighters could fight the fire safely.”
His heroic deed wasn’t lost on the city’s fire department or others.
Bellis, a former emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter, received certificates of appreciation from the Allentown Fire Department, state Senator Patrick Browne and state Representatives Peter Schweyer and Mike Schlossberg.
Bellis was touched by the recognition and the fact that a city fire marshal nominated him for the honor.
“Safety, and keeping others safe, is a very important part of our job,” Bellis said. “And it’s important to keep that safety mindset everywhere you go.
“I just love to help people.”
May 24, 2023 | Reliability, Storms and Outages
As summer approaches, so does the start of the summer storm season.
We want you to know we’re prepared to continue delivering safe and reliable service in all kinds of weather.
One way we keep the lights on during storms is through the investments we’ve made in our Smart Grid. If an outage occurs, our self-healing grid can sense the problem and automatically reroute power to restore as many customers as possible, almost instantly. This technology — along with replacing older equipment, upgrading to storm-resistant poles and wires and using data to proactively trim trees before they fall on wires — helps us reduce outages and respond quicker if an outage occurs.
We’ve also made it easier than ever to stay informed. You can customize your outage alerts to receive a phone call, text message or email with updates on repair crew status and estimated restoration times if you lose power. You can customize those alerts and also sign up for billing and payment alerts on our Alert Preferences page.
Even with the best preparation and information, storms and severe weather can cause damage and result in outages. We keep our outage map updated with real-time information on outage causes and estimated restoration times. If your power goes out, you can help us by reporting your outage in a few simple steps on our Outages and Issues page.
No matter what Mother Nature throws our way, we’ll be ready. And, our crews will be there to work as safely and quickly as possible to restore power if needed.
Apr 25, 2023 | Safety and Security
Utility scammers never take a day off and they’re always looking for the next opportunity to fool you out of your hard-earned money. We want you to stay vigilant and know how to identify scammers, so you can stop them in their tracks.
If you receive a call or email asking about your electric bill or electricity supplier, it’s important to make sure you know the warning signs of a scam. Here are a few things to look out for:
- Don’t give into threats: “We’ll shut off your service if you don’t pay us immediately.” Scammers say this, we don’t. We will never call and demand immediate payment by credit card or bank account. If you are at risk of losing service, we’ll reach out via several ways and provide many opportunities to prevent shut off by contacting us to set up a payment plan. We never want to terminate anyone’s service, and we view service termination as an absolute last resort.
- Pay attention to payment methods: We will never request you pay a bill with a gift card, prepaid card, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency.
- Watch out for spam: Today’s scammers will use lookalike logos or trademarks to fool you. So, when you open an email, be sure it’s coming from us before you click on anything.
- Don’t always trust caller ID: Scammers can make it look like a phone call is coming from PPL Electric Utilities. If you suspect the caller might not really be us, hang up immediately and verify your account information on our website.
Sometimes, scammers knock on doors or could even confront you while in a public place. If a marketer stops you, remember the following tips:
- We’re not salespeople: We do not market or sell supplier services door-to-door. If a solicitor claims to represent PPL Electric, tell them you’re busy and can’t speak. Then contact us directly. Most importantly, don’t provide any personal information to them.
- Take your time: As part of intimidation tactics, scammers may press you to act quickly. Stop, slow down and end the conversation. Reach out to us directly to confirm any details mentioned during the conversation or the status of your bill.
- Ask for identification: All PPL Electric employees carry an ID badge. Our employees are required to show you their ID when asked, so if they can’t produce a badge, shut the door.
Whether it’s an email, phone call or knock at the door, it never hurts to be mindful. Combine these general tips with those mentioned above to ensure you are staying vigilant:
- Sign up for an online account at pplelectric.com to always have access to your information. You can sign up in three easy steps and view your bill status, electricity supplier information, overall usage and more.
- Update your PPL Electric account with a security PIN or password and never give it to anyone who calls you. That way, when you call us, we can ask for your PIN or password to make sure it’s really you and you’re authorized to talk about the account.
The best way to prevent yourself from falling victim to a scam is to stay informed and be vigilant. And, if anything seems even slightly off about a situation, feel free to get in touch with us. For more information and tips about utility scams, visit pplelectric.com/scams.
