Delmarva Power is ready to beat the heat
With summer just around the corner, Delmarva Power has been hard at work prepping its systems, and testing its processes and procedures, all part of the company’s efforts to provide safe and reliable service for its 520,000 electric customers and 132,000 natural gas customers this summer.
“Keeping the lights on and the gas flowing is a year-round job – and summer is no exception,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “With hurricane season and hot temperatures quickly approaching, we are taking extra steps to prepare for increased demands from our customers so we can keep homes and businesses powered all summer long.”
Delmarva Power’s work to prepare for the summer is part of $428 million the company spends each year to maintain and modernize the local energy grid. Delmarva Power completes hundreds of tasks to prepare for the summer season, including system work, testing and drills. Delmarva Power employees across the region also are ready to respond to severe summer storms or emergencies if needed. And, as part of the Exelon family of companies, Delmarva Power can call on resources from sister companies in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Illinois to restore power quickly after major storms.
As Delmarva Power prepares for summer, customers should prepare too. Before severe weather hits, customers should:
- Have a supply of bottled water and easy-to-prepare, nonperishable foods available
- Charge cellphones and mobile devices
- Have a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of the home
- Download the mobile app at www.delmarva.com/mobileap to report outages or other service issues and stay up to date should summer storms cause a service interruption to their home or business
- Always stay away from any storm-damaged electrical equipment, especially downed power lines; customers are asked to immediately report downed wires by calling 800-898-8042
- Review the manufacturer's instructions for safe operation of a generator. Do not connect a generator directly to a home's wiring. Never use a generator indoors, in an attached garage or other enclosed area.
If severe storms hit, Delmarva Power has many online resources to keep customers informed. The company’s interactive outage map, available at delmarva.com, and its mobile app provide customers information about outages across the company’s system and give an estimate of how quickly power is expected to be restored.
Higher temperatures can lead to higher energy bills, and Delmarva Power provides a variety of programs to help every customer save money and energy. Customers can learn more about these programs by going to www.delmarva.com/waystosave. Customers also can save energy and lower their bills this summer by following a few easy tips.
Turn off all unnecessary lighting and devices. Keep thermostats at a constant, comfortable level when at home. Raise the thermostat setting for days of extreme heat to save even more. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the home's temperature settings when occupants are away or sleeping. Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows, so closing blinds and curtains can reduce heat in the home. Use ceiling fans or portable fans to circulate air in homes without air conditioning, and keep windows partially open to bring fresh air into the home. For those with air conditioning, fans can be used to evenly distribute cool air. Run appliances that produce heat (like clothes dryers, ovens and dishwashers) at night when it is cooler.
By taking a few simple steps, together everyone can be ready, stay safe, stay cool, and use less energy this summer.
For more information, go to www.delmarva.com. To download Delmarva Power’s mobile app, go to www.delmarva.com/mobileapp.
