Company offers tips for customers to manage
rising temperatures and energy costs
GREENSBURG, Pa., June 20,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the hot, humid summer
months expected to produce higher electric usage and potentially
severe weather, West Penn Power, a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE)
subsidiary, is completing inspections and conducting proactive
equipment maintenance in its 24-county western and central
Pennsylvania service area to help
enhance service reliability for customers.
"We proactively inspect and maintain our equipment to help
ensure our system is prepared for increased electrical demand when
temperatures soar," said Scott
Wyman, president of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania operations. "These important
steps help to minimize the length and impact of service
interruptions should summer storms cause power
outages."
West Penn Power crews are wrapping up inspections of electrical
equipment located along neighborhood power lines to ensure the
equipment is ready to perform reliably with elevated summer
electrical demand, typically due to air conditioning usage.
Substation electricians use thermovision cameras during
summer-readiness inspections to capture infrared images, helping to
detect potential problems within substations and on power lines
that cannot be observed during regular visual
inspections. These images can identify equipment issues such
as loose connections, corrosion and load imbalances, and utility
workers are able to make repairs to prevent potential power outages
in the future.
In addition, helicopter patrols have completed inspections of
more than 1,700 miles of power lines owned by West Penn Power and
Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (TrAILCo), a FirstEnergy
transmission subsidiary, located in the West Penn Power area. The
inspections are designed to look for damaged wire, broken cross
arms and other hardware problems not visible from the ground. Any
potential reliability issues identified during the inspections will
be addressed.
West Penn Power employees recently participated in an annual
emergency preparedness drill to practice restoration processes and
review storm-management tools critical to safely and quickly
getting the lights back on following severe weather. The
Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30 and is forecast to be more active
than normal this year, continuing a trend seen in recent years.
Customers can get tips to prepare in advance of severe weather,
and view restoration updates if storms do cause power outages, by
visiting FirstEnergy's 24/7 Power Center
at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.
With the summer storm season also comes higher-than-usual
temperatures and rising energy costs. Customers can take steps to
beat the heat while also managing their electricity bill this
summer. The following tips can help customers use electricity
wisely during this period of high demand:
- Set thermostats as high as comfort will allow. Every degree a
customer can increase the temperature in their home will result in
using about 3 percent less energy during the summer.
- Use fans – moving air cools skin faster, resulting in greater
comfort on hot days.
- During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on windows facing
the sun to prevent direct radiant heating from impacting interior
temperatures.
- Use a programmable or smart thermostat to keep temperatures
higher when no one is home and to reduce the temperature before
arrival back home.
- Seal any leaks with caulk or weather stripping to prevent hot
air from sneaking into your home.
- Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters
waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than
necessary.
- Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours
of the day. The less heat produced at home, the less work the air
conditioner must do.
- Payment arrangements and assistance programs are available for
customers who need help with their electric bills. For more
information, visit www.firstenergycorp.com/billassist.
Summer is also a time when contractors and homeowners spend more
time outdoors completing projects. Important
outdoor electrical safety tips are available at
www.firstenergycorp.com/publicsafety.
West Penn Power serves approximately 734,000 customers in 24
counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on
Twitter @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/WestPennPower.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 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 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy on
Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at
www.firstenergycorp.com.
Editor's Note: Photos of workers conducting
thermovision inspections to enhance service reliability for
FirstEnergy customers are available for download on Flickr. A video
of utility personnel conducting a thermovision inspection and
explaining the work can be found on the company's YouTube
channel.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.