Company offers tips for customers to manage rising
temperatures and energy costs
NEW
CASTLE, Pa., June 20,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Power, a FirstEnergy Corp.
(NYSE: FE) electric company, recently completed proactive equipment
inspections and maintenance to reinforce the electric system
against extreme heat and severe weather this summer. The work
builds upon vast equipment and technology upgrades FirstEnergy has
made to its electric grid in western Pennsylvania over recent years to help prevent
power outages and reduce many interruptions to just a brief or
momentary outage.
"We proactively inspect, maintain and upgrade our equipment to
minimize the length and impact of service interruptions that are
often caused by events out of our control, like severe weather,"
said Scott Wyman, president of
FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania
operations. "This year alone, FirstEnergy plans to invest more than
$20 million in new automated
technology and equipment upgrades across the Penn Power service
area to help keep power flowing to our customers in all types of
weather conditions."
Proactive equipment inspections include using thermovision
cameras to capture infrared images of electrical equipment, helping
detect potential problems within substations and on power lines
that cannot be observed during regular visual inspections. The
infrared technology shows heat on a color scale, with brighter
colors or "hot spots" indicating areas that could need repairs.
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.
Penn Power is also nearing completion on the construction of a
new distribution substation in Cranberry, Butler
County, to support the energy demands of the area's rapidly
growing population and help prevent lengthy service disruptions
during severe weather. The work includes installation of automated
equipment and technology within the new substation and along power
lines serving more than 20,000 customers in parts of Cranberry, Mars, Evans
City, Jackson Township and
nearby areas. The facility is expected to be operational by the end
of the summer.
Other work being completed by Penn Power personnel includes
inspecting electrical equipment, like transformers, located along
neighborhood power lines and within substations to ensure the
infrastructure is ready to perform reliably when demand for
electricity increases during the summer, typically due to air
conditioning usage.
In addition, helicopter patrols have completed inspections of
nearly 750 miles of high-voltage power lines owned by American
Transmission Systems, Inc., a FirstEnergy transmission subsidiary,
located in the Penn Power service 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 are addressed
as quickly as possible.
Beyond the infrastructure work, Penn Power and FirstEnergy
employees have participated in readiness exercises and drills
throughout the year to test the company's restoration process used
to address storm-related power outages. Storm drills are becoming
more common in the utility industry in the wake of severe weather
over the last several years.
Customers can review 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.
Penn Power serves more than 160,000 customers in all or parts of
Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania. Follow Penn Power on Twitter
@Penn_Power, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennPower, and online
at www.pennpower.com.
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 online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of Penn Power workers
completing equipment upgrades and inspections 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.