Company offers tips for customers to manage seasonal
heating bills
GREENSBURG, Pa., Dec. 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania
Electric Company (FE PA), a
subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) doing business as
Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power, is completing
equipment inspections and maintenance to help keep electricity
flowing to customers so they can stay safe and comfortable
throughout the cold winter season.
John Hawkins, FirstEnergy's
President, Pennsylvania: "We
focus our winter preparations on readying our electric distribution
and transmission systems to safely deliver electricity to our
customers when they need it most to stay warm. We take many steps
to safeguard our power infrastructure and prepare our field
employees and vehicles to be ready to respond quickly and
efficiently to the challenges presented by winter's frigid
temperatures, windstorms and snowstorms."
Substation electricians inspect critical components using
thermovision cameras, which capture infrared images of equipment to
detect potential problems that are not visible during regular
visual inspections. The infrared images show heat on a color scale,
with brighter colors or "hot spots" indicating loose connections,
corrosion or other problems that require repairs. Workers can then
proactively repair substation equipment to help prevent power
outages as customers crank up their heaters to combat the cold.
Watch a video on the company's YouTube
channel of FirstEnergy personnel conducting a
thermovision inspection.
Larger substations often have buildings that house
remote-controlled equipment that require a climate-controlled
environment to function properly. Crews winterize those control
buildings and ensure their heating systems and battery back-up are
ready for the season.
Helicopter inspections are also being completed on more than
5,500 miles of transmission lines located across FirstEnergy's
Pennsylvania footprint. The
inspections are designed to look for damaged wire, broken cross
arms and other hardware problems invisible from the ground.
Potential reliability issues identified during the inspection may
then be addressed.
Tree trimming throughout the year reinforces the power system
ahead of the winter season by maintaining proper clearances around
electrical equipment and helping to protect against tree-related
outages caused by the weight of ice and heavy, wet snow on
branches. FirstEnergy's tree contractors have completed trimming
work along about 9,900 miles of transmission and distribution power
lines this year across Pennsylvania to help prevent or minimize the
impact of tree-related service disruptions.
FirstEnergy explains a new vegetation management tool
being used across the company's footprint in a video clip on the
company's YouTube channel.
Additionally, bucket trucks and other vehicles are inspected to
ensure they are safe and able to function in freezing temperatures.
Special emphasis is placed on the condition of tires and air
brakes, which can freeze up if moisture is present. Snow removal
equipment is also checked to ensure that crews can access
substations and that work areas and sidewalks at company facilities
are clear and safe.
Earlier this year, FE PA
employees conducted annual tabletop storm drills as another way to
help ensure reliable electric service for customers when severe
weather strikes. The drills are designed to prepare employees
assigned to storm restoration duties and review restoration
processes and storm-management tools critical to safely and quickly
getting the lights back on after damage caused by severe
weather.
Customers can review tips to prepare in advance for severe
weather, and view restoration updates if storms do cause power
outages, by visiting FirstEnergy's 24/7 Power Center
at firstenergycorp.com/outages.
Cold Weather Tips for Customers
With the winter storm season also comes frigid temperatures and
rising energy costs. Customers can take steps to keep their homes
comfortable while managing their electricity bill this cold season.
The following tips can help customers use electricity wisely during
this period of high demand:
- Seal any leaks around windows and door frames with caulk or
weather stripping to prevent cold air from sneaking into your
home.
- Close the fireplace damper when it is not in use to keep cold
air out.
- Close the drapes at night. During the day, only open those that
receive direct sunlight.
- Check furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and
money by forcing a heating system to work harder than
necessary.
- Make sure your home is properly insulated. If you have less
than six inches of insulation, you'll benefit by adding more.
- Payment arrangements and assistance programs are available for
customers who need help with their electric bills. For more
information, visit firstenergycorp.com/billassist.
Met-Ed serves approximately 592,000 customers within 3,300
square miles of eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. Follow Met-Ed on X, formerly
known as Twitter, @Met Ed and on Facebook at
facebook.com/MetEdElectric.
Penelec serves approximately 597,000 customers within 17,600
square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania. Follow Penelec on X @Penelec and
on Facebook at facebook.com/PenelecElectric.
Penn Power serves more than 173,000 customers in all or parts of
Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania. Follow Penn Power on
X @Penn_Power, on Facebook at facebook.com/PennPower, and
online at pennpower.com.
West Penn Power serves approximately 746,000 customers in 24
counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on X
@W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at facebook.com/WestPennPower.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,500 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and
follow FirstEnergy on X @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy's utilities'
winter inspection and maintenance program are available for
download on Flickr.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pre-winter-inspections-and-maintenance-support-safe-and-reliable-power-for-firstenergys-pennsylvania-customers-through-cold-months-302327733.html
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
