Spring into Outdoor Chores Safely

Warm weather is here and so are outdoor chores such as gutter cleaning and landscaping. In celebration of National Electrical Safety Month, here are a few safety tips before you get started:

• Use a fiber glass or wooden ladder and maintain at least a 10-foot clearance when working near power lines
• Carry long or tall items such as ladders, scaffolding or tree sawsparallel to the ground to avoid contact with overhead wires
• Never touch a power line with any part of your body
• ·Wear goggles, gloves and enclosed footwear when handling electric or battery-operated tools

Visit our Safety Center page for more tips.

10 Electrical Safety Tips for Children

May is National Electrical Safety Month, so we would like to remind you how important it is to follow safety precautions and educate children about the dangers of misusing electricity and electrical devices. Here are a few safety tips for you and your children to always keep in mind:

1. Place safety covers over unused electric outlets to make sure your child does not stick their finger (or any other object) into the outlet

2. Do not let your child touch wires lying on the ground, or inside the house.

3. Keep balloons, kites and other toys away from overhead lines

4. Make sure your kite is made of wood, plastic or paper – never metal, foil or wire

5. Keep electric appliances at least 10 feet away from swimming pools

6. Never touch anything electrical with wet hands

7. Never unplug an appliance by pulling the cord

8. Never play around substations, utility towers or pad-mounted transformers (green metal boxes) or where “Danger: High Voltage” signs are posted

9. Never use electric appliances during a bath or shower, when standing near a sink or when standing in water

10. Never pour water on an electrical fire. If the home does not have an appropriate extinguisher (class A,B,C), use flour or baking soda

Visit our Safety Center page for more safety tips.

Helping An Endangered Species Recover

Photo Credit: NJ Pinelands Commisssion

The eastern tiger salamander, known for controlling insect populations, is New Jersey’s rarest amphibian. Rising sea levels, development pressures and climate change are threatening to make the creature extinct in the state, but we’re helping this species to recover as part of our environmental sustainability strategy.  We’re currently working with several organizations, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, to build a vernal pool this winter along a portion of our transmission right-of-way in Cape May County. Vernal pools hold water in the winter and spring, but dry out in the summer. Since fish cannot live in vernal pools, salamander eggs are not in danger of being eaten. These are perfect breeding conditions for the tiger salamander and hopefully aid in its recovery over time. Funding from the federal government, along with our $5,000 contribution, is helping support the project.

High Winds Batter Coastal Areas

We are restoring service today to customers affected by the wintry mix of high wind and rain.

The hardest hit areas are in Cape May and Atlantic counties as a result of strong wind gusts along the coast.

In one instance during the afternoon, service was interrupted to about 19,000 customers in parts of Ventnor, Margate and Longport and the southern end of Atlantic City. In Stone Harbor, powerful gusts knocked down numerous poles, which may require multiple days to repair.

As of 4:30 p.m., crews had restored service to more than 22,000 customers across the service territory, with fewer than 35,000 still out of service.

Storms can bring down tree limbs onto power lines, interrupting electric service. We will adjust its workforce to respond to any outages that may occur.

We urge customers to stay clear of any downed wires and report them to the company by calling 800-833-7476, or report through the utility’s mobile app or website.

For more information visit atlanticcityelectric.com and follow Atlantic City Electric at http://twitter.com/ACElecConnect.

We Are Prepared for a Winter Storm

We are closely monitoring a wintry mix of hazardous weather that is expected to reach our region this evening. The National Weather Service is predicting that the Atlantic City Electric service area will experience rain, high winds and snow into Thursday. Storms can bring down tree limbs onto power lines, causing power outages. We will schedule and adjust our workforce to respond to any outages that may occur.

We urge customers to stay safe and offers the below preparation and safety tips.

Preparation Tips

• If you or someone you know uses life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there during a prolonged outage.
• Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.
• Have a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate, and won’t work if there is an outage.
• Protect your electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors, and consider a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for temporary battery backup power.
• Turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if it is safe to do so. However, if you have an electrically operated sump pump, you should not turn off your power.
• Fill your gas tank so you can run your automobile to charge mobile devices. Be sure to open garage doors using manual controls to run the vehicle safely.

Safety Tips

• Tune in to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
• Follow the advice of your local emergency management officials.
• If you need to use a portable generator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use only when necessary. Don’t overload it and turn it off at night while you sleep and when you are away from home.
• Take cover if necessary.
• Stay away from downed wires. Assume any downed wire is energized.

To report an outage or downed wire, call 1-800-833-7476 or report through our mobile app or our website.

Investing in Our Communities; Planning for the Future

We’re actively planning for the future, making reliability investments in our infrastructure to keep pace with the growth in demand for electricity.

We have identified and prioritized areas in our system where upgrades to critical infrastructure will enhance and maintain service to customers.

During the last five years, we have invested more than $340 million in transmission and distribution upgrades in southern New Jersey. In the next five years, we’ll spend approximately $175 million more.

Improvement projects across the service area include:

• Upgrading priority feeders and substations
• Trimming 1,800 miles of tree-lined roadways
• Replacing, renewing and building new power lines
• Upgrading manual data collection on the distribution system to digital technology

Electricity is an essential part of everyone’s lives. It’s a necessity, not a luxury, and we are committed to providing reliable, safe electric service to all of our customers.

Energy Wise Rewards Makes Saving Money Convenient

Here’s a good idea. Turn down your thermostat a few degrees when you’re away from home to help reduce energy costs this winter.

Here’s a better idea. Use a programmable thermostat to decrease the temperature automatically and conveniently when away. Not only will you save money on your energy bill, but your home will be cozy when you return.

Don’t have a programmable thermostat? Sign up for our Energy Wise Rewards program and we’ll install a web-enabled one at no charge.

Setting a programmable thermostat to fit your schedule can save you up 10 percent on heating and cooling costs year-round. We’ll even give you credits on your energy bill for participating in the program.

If you forget to set it, you can always program your web-programmable thermostat remotely online through our My Account page at atlanticcityelectric.com.

Learn more and sign up at atlanticcityelectric.com/rewards or call 1-866-355-4229.