Company offers tips for customers to manage
rising temperatures and energy costs
GREENSBURG, Pa., June 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the hot, humid summer
months expected to produce higher electric usage and potentially
severe weather, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company
(FE PA), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy
Corp. (NYSE: FE) doing business in western and central Pennsylvania as West Penn Power, is completing
inspections and conducting proactive equipment maintenance across
its service area to help enhance service reliability for
customers.
John Hawkins, FirstEnergy's
President,
Pennsylvania: "We proactively inspect and maintain
our equipment to help ensure our system is prepared for increased
electrical demand when temperatures climb. These important measures
will also 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 its local
energy delivery system to ensure electrical 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.
Watch a video on the company's YouTube
channel of utility personnel conducting a thermovision
inspection.
In addition, helicopter patrols have completed inspections of
more than 1,700 miles of power lines owned by Keystone Appalachian
Transmission Company (KATCo) and Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line
Company (TrAILCo), FirstEnergy Corp. transmission subsidiaries,
located in the West Penn Power area. The inspections identify
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.
Since the beginning of the year, tree contractors have trimmed
along 1,840 miles of power lines as part of FirstEnergy's
vegetation management program in the West Penn Power area. Work
remains on schedule to complete an additional 2,860 miles by the
end of the year. Maintaining proper clearances around electrical
equipment is critical to providing safe, reliable electric service
and can help reduce the frequency and duration of tree-related
power outages, especially those associated with severe weather.
Trees are being trimmed in these counties and communities:
- Allegheny –
Upper St. Clair, South Fayette Township, Harmar Township, Springdale Township, Springdale, Frazer
Township, East Deer
Township, Fawn Township,
Tarentum, Bridgeville, Forward
Township, Elizabeth
Township
- Armstrong –
Kiskiminetas Township,
South Buffalo Township, Parks
Township, West Franklin Township,
East Franklin Township, Redbank
Township, Rayburn Township, Boggs
Township, Wayne Township,
Kittanning Township, Gilpin
Township, Valley Township,
Apollo, Cowanshannock Township,
Freeport, Washington Township, Sugarcreek Township, Atwood, Burrell Township, Plum Creek Township,
South Bend Township, South
Bethlehem
- Bedford – Mann
Township, Monroe Township
- Butler – Butler, Butler
Township, Center Township,
Clay Township, Cherry Township, Slippery
Rock Township, Summit
Township, Donegal Township,
Jefferson Township, Buffalo Township, Penn Township, Winfield Township, Clinton Township, Oakland Township, Saxonburg
- Centre – State College, Patton Township, Harris Township, Gregg Township, Ferguson Township, Marion Township, Walker Township, College Township, Halfmoon
Township, Worth Township, Haines
Township
- Clarion – Limestone Township, New Bethlehem Township, Porter Township, Redbank Township
- Clinton – Beech Creek, Beech
Creek Township
- Elk County – Fox
Township, Horton Township, Highland
Township, Ridgway Township,
Johnsonburg, Jay Township,
Jones Township
- Fayette – Connellsville, Uniontown, Dunbar, Bullskin
Township, Luzerne Township,
Washington Township, Connellsville Township, Dunbar Township, Perry Township, Georges Township, German Township,
Redstone Township, Springfield Township, Stewart Township, Saltlick Township,
Menallen Township, North Union Township, Lower Tyrone Township, South Union Township, Franklin Township, Jefferson Township, Wharton Township
- Franklin – Antrim Township, Hamilton Township, Guilford Township,
Chambersburg, Mercersburg, Montgomery Township, St. Thomas Township, Peters Township, Greene Township, Washington Township, Quincy Township
- Fulton – Union Township
- Greene – Center Township, Dunkard Township, Franklin Township, Freeport Township, Gilmore Township,
Washington Township, Jefferson Township, Morgan Township, Morris Township, Whiteley Township,
Wayne Township, Gray Township, Allepo Township, Monongahela Township, Cumberland Township, Richhilll Township,
Rices Landing
- Lycoming – Cummings Township, McHenry Township
- McKean – Wetmore Township, Hamlin Township, Sergeant Township, Norwich Township
- Washington –
Washington, Cecil Township, Nottingham Township, Peters Township, Centerville, Fallowfield Township, Amity Township, Morris Township, North Bethlehem Township, West Bethlehem Township, Chartiers Township, Cross Creek Township, Jefferson Township, Robinson Township, Independence Township, North Strabane Township, Somerset Township, South Franklin Township, Bentleyville, West
Pike Run Township, South Strabane
Township, East Washington,
Hanover Township, Blaine Township,
West Finley Township, Canton Township, Hopewell Township, Mount Washington Township, West Middleton,
Carroll Township, Monongahela, Smith
Township, Buffalo Township,
East Finley Township, Deemston,
Marianna, Midway
- Westmoreland –
Greensburg, Hempfield Township, Jeannette, Latrobe, Murrysville, Unity
Township, Rostraver
Township, Sewickley
Township, Delmont,
Bell Township, Lower Burrell, Washington Township, Derry Township, Penn Township, Allegheny Township, East Huntingdon Township, North Huntingdon Township, Salem Township, Manor, Vandergrift, Ligonier Township, New Kensington, Cook Township, Donegal Township, Mount Pleasant Township, Oklahoma, East
Vandergrift, Washington
Township, Loyalhanna
Township
In addition to equipment inspections and maintenance, West Penn
Power recently conducted storm-readiness exercises and drills to
test the restoration process used to repair 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.
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.
- 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 firstenergycorp.com/billassist.
West Penn Power serves approximately 746,000 customers in 24
counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn on X, formerly
known as Twitter, @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 more than six million 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. Visit
FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and follow
FirstEnergy on X @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of workers conducting thermovision
inspections to enhance service reliability for FirstEnergy
customers are available for download on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.