Sep 22, 2022 | Community Involvement
Sometimes, we all need a little helping hand. That’s why we’re proud of our Operation HELP program.
For almost four decades, our Operation HELP program has helped more than 110,000 families struggling with their electric bills. The program, which provides grants to eligible families, is funded by generous contributions from our customers, employees and vendors.
On September 15, 2022, we hosted the 28th annual Operation HELP golf tournament at Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli and raised an additional $129,000 to support our customers. While Operation HELP, which was established in 1983, is primarily supported by donations from PPL Electric Utilities, its employees and customers, the annual golf tournament has become its largest fundraising event.
In addition to Operation HELP, we offer multiple bill assistance programs for eligible customers. These programs include: the OnTrack payment plan, budget billing, payment arrangements and even flexibility in choosing a bill due date. To find out more about how we can assist you with your bills, visit pplelectric.com/billhelp.
“We’re happy to host this annual event and raise funds for Operation HELP,” said Jaclyn Baldwin, regulatory programs manager. “This program is just one of the many ways we continue to assist our customers in their times of need. Operation HELP — along with other programs — help those who are behind on their energy bill and provide them with ways to catch up.”
Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2022 golf tournament, and all who contribute to this vital program.
Winter is on its way. If your family can use a little helping hand, visit pplelectric.com/billhelp to learn more about Operation HELP and all of our payment assistance programs and plans.
Sep 21, 2022 | Community Involvement
For years, we’ve partnered with Northampton Community College (NCC) to train and place dozens of new lineworkers, who are now safely keeping your lights on.
In addition to helping build and kickstart the lineworker training program back in 2011, we’ve provided wooden poles, vehicles, and equipment so students can get the hands-on experience they need. Even the program’s six instructors are current or former PPL Electric Utilities lineworkers.
When a recent need for a program upgrade emerged, we stepped up again. This time we provided one of our digger derrick trucks so the latest class gets experience digging holes for and setting utility poles.
“It’s a high priority occupation and PPL Electric Utilities has been a fabulous partner,” said Lauren A. Loeffler, vice president of Workforce Development/Community Education. “And safety is a key focus of the program.”
The current group of 15 students will join more than 250 others, mainly from eastern and central Pennsylvania, who have completed the program and become line workers for power companies, cable companies, and other utilities.
In addition to the hands-on skills training, aspiring lineworkers receive training in employability skills, interview skills, and resume writing. This is a critical program because the industry has experienced a lineworker shortage in recent years.
After completing the 12-week pre-apprenticeship program at NCC, students are positioned to become trainees in the PPL Electric apprenticeship program.
Sep 2, 2022 | Safety and Security
It’s back to school season.
Settling into a new school year routine takes time, and after the quiet summer months, we can all use a safety refresher to help keep our kiddos and the rest of the family safe around electricity.
Electrical safety tips for in your home:
- Make sure your kitchen and bathrooms have GFCI-protected outlets to keep you safe from electrical shocks.
- Check that you have working smoke alarms and never disable a smoke alarm when cooking.
- Avoid overloading outlets and regularly inspect electrical cords and extension cords for damage.
- Never insert anything other than an electrical plug into an electrical outlet.
- Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use to save energy and minimize the risk of shock and fire. Never leave cooking or appliances unattended.
Safety tips for outside your home:
- Don’t play on or around utility poles or power lines.
- Keep away from green box transformers or other electrical equipment.
- Stay on the sidewalk when possible or walk facing traffic.
- Always use crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street.
- Watch out for students and pedestrians crossing the street.
- Make sure to obey school zone speed limits.
- Stay at least 10 feet away from any school bus that’s stopped with its sign extended and lights flashing.
We hope all the students returning to the classroom—and their families—have a safe and enjoyable school year!
Sep 2, 2022 | Reliability
It took a lot of strategic planning, hard work and the use of a 100-ton crane, but residents on one city block in Harrisburg can rest easier now that a huge tree that had become a safety hazard is gone.
We partnered with the City of Harrisburg and tree-removal experts to safely remove the gargantuan Elm, with roots spanning multiple properties and branches entangled in our power lines.
Once customers began calling with safety concerns, we knew we had to act before the tree caused an electrical fire or outages—or fell and hurt someone or damaged property.
“Tree maintenance on private property generally isn’t our responsibility,” said Regional Affairs Director Maggie Sheely. “But, when it comes to safety, we don’t compromise. We step up to do the right thing and keep our customers safe.”
Equipped with bucket trucks and generators, our crews were on site for four days, untangling the large tree from our lines with precision.
It was a TREE-mendous effort by all that created a safer environment and ensured more reliable service for some Harrisburg residents.
Sep 1, 2022 | Reliability
September is recognized annually as National Preparedness Month—an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies.
What’s more, for the third year in a row, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic.
Pennsylvania doesn’t have a coastline, but we can still be impacted by hurricanes, tropical storms and other bouts of severe weather. We want you to know that when mother nature lashes out, we’re ready to respond to power outages as safely and quickly as possible, around the clock, to get the lights back on.
Not only are we prepared to respond to outages, we’ve taken steps to help avoid them altogether, despite the weather.
The investments we’ve made in our electric grid have made it more reliable than ever, even during extreme weather. Sensors on our smart grid identify outages quickly and can automatically reroute power to get as many customers back up and running as possible, often in seconds. In fact, since 2015, our advanced grid has helped prevent more than 1.4 million customer outages.
Like we always say: The best outage is an outage that never happens in the first place.
Smart grid devices are just one part of our investments to continuously improve the reliability of your electric service. Other work includes new power lines and substations; stronger, more storm-resistant poles; and trimming more trees. Find out more about the ways we’re strengthening the electric delivery system to meet your expectations for safe, reliable service at pplelectric.com/reliability.
Be prepared. Stay informed.
Have you managed your alerts recently? We’ve made it easier than ever for you to stay informed during severe weather with our automated alerts. You can receive information regarding outages, repair crew status and estimated restoration times, all via text message, phone or email. Pick your preferences at pplelectric.com/alerts. And remember that you can report or check on an outage at pplelectric.com/outage.
Plus, we use social media to provide storm updates and share tips on how to stay safe before, during and after storms. Follow us @PPLElectric for all the latest news and updates.
