Residential Connect

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YOU DEPEND ON US. WE DELIVER.

AUGUST 2020

PPL utility trucks working on the powerlines

COVER STORY

Electrical safety: Don't dig for trouble – Call 8-1-1 before your next project.

If you're like many of us, you're using this season of social distancing to do some home improvement projects. You might be painting rooms, organizing the cabinets, or giving your space that deep clean it's been needing.

If you're doing any outdoor work – like installing a fence, building an addition or starting up a landscaping project – always call 8-1-1 to make sure you don't dig into an underground power line or other utility.

The 8-1-1 call will connect you with the Pennsylvania One Call System. A crew will come out to mark any areas where digging could be a problem. If there's a power, water, sewer or gas line on your property, the crew will mark it with spray paint or flags so you can avoid those areas.

It'll keep you safe, and it'll keep the power flowing for your neighborhood.

Calling 8-1-1 before you dig isn't just a good idea, it's the law. In Pennsylvania, you have to call 8-1-1 at least 3 business days before you break ground. That goes for any dig, whether you're using an old-fashioned shovel or machinery.

When you call 8-1-1, have this information handy:

  • The county and municipality where you'll be digging.
  • The street name and address.
  • The nearest intersecting/cross street.
  • Details of the dig – where will you be digging on the property and what kind of work is being done?
  • The dates of the project.
  • The name of the company doing the work, if you're working with a contractor.

According to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, each year there are about 6,000 incidents where someone hits an underground utility line because he or she didn't make the call.

Stay safe! Call 8-1-1 before you dig.

Ask Meg

Question
I was furloughed from my job when the pandemic hit. I haven't been able to pay my electric bill and the balance is really starting to add up. Can you help me?

Answer
I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. The answer is yes. We can help. Regardless of your income, we have programs that can help ease the burden. We can set you up with a payment arrangement or budget billing. If you qualify, you may also be able to participate in a program that offers debt forgiveness or lower monthly payments. The important thing is that you reach out. Visit pplelectric.com/billhelp today or call us at 1-800-342-5775. We're here to help you get through this.

Meg in a PPL Electric Utilities hat and jacket

Save energy and money. Visit savewithppl.com.


Staying safe so we can keep your lights on

We've been looking out for our customers throughout this pandemic, but we've also been keeping our PPL colleagues safe. After all, we need to make sure our team is healthy to keep monitoring the grid, responding to storm damage, and responding to your questions and needs.

Here are just a few ways we've been keeping our PPL team safe as we all persevere through this pandemic.

Social distancing. When our employees are in the field, they're practicing safe social distancing. You can help us out. If you need to speak with one of our workers, please stay at least 10 feet away at all times.

Wearing masks. All of our employees and contractors are wearing non-surgical, homemade or better masks when they're working out in the field except when working in a flash zone around specific electrical equipment.

Working remotely. All employees who are able to work from home are doing so. That includes most of our Customer Contact Center representatives, including Kimberly Wampole (pictured at her home workstation).

Sanitizing. We've increased cleaning and sanitizing of all facilities, so if an employee needs to come into a PPL building, they can be confident that the area is safe.

PPL employee working from home office

PPL employees and students holding books in classroom

Making back-to-school dreams come true

It's true that "back-to-school" has a different meaning this year than it has in the past. Depending on their schools or where they live, students could be taking classes online, in-person, or a little of both.

Regardless of what back-to-school means for you, PPL is here to help make academic dreams come true for some of our customers.

Environmental scholarships for high school seniors

We recently selected seven high school seniors to receive our
Future Environmental Leaders Scholarship!

We give these $2,000 scholarships to selected students who are pursuing careers that will benefit our environment. Congratulations
to the winners!

  • Ethan T. Davies (Freedom High School); Penn State University;
    Environmental System Engineering
  • Kayla Lincalis (Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences);
    Bucknell University; Environmental Engineering
  • Lenka M. Platt (Halifax High School); Chatham University;
    Biology and Sustainability
  • Ann M. Birmingham (Berks Catholic High School);
    Nova Southeastern University; Marine Biology
  • Christian R. Dury (Honesdale High School); Penn State University;
    Chemical Engineering
  • Rachel T. Soccio (Newport High School); Penn State University;
    Veterinary and Biomedical Science
  • Bryndil L. Kemler (Central Columbia Senior High School);
    Pennsylvania College of Technology; Surveying Technology

Grant funding for education and sustainable initiatives

Our PPL Foundation recently gave $500,000 in grants to 116 non-profit organizations to support educational initiatives and strengthen community resources.

Among the grants we awarded were 19 for libraries and other literacy-focused organizations in support of Cover to Cover, our initiative to improve child literacy through reading and summer learning programs. (Pictured: Students show off their new books as part of our Cover to Cover program. Picture taken in 2019 prior to social distancing guidance.)

To learn more about our commitment to our communities, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or visit pplelectric.com.

Have a suggestion for a newsletter? Email us at connect@pplweb.com.