When adverse weather affects our service area, BGE is prepared. If you experience a power outage or need to report a downed wire, please call 877.778.2222. BGE asks all customers, including those with smart meters, to report their outage. Outages may also be reported online, by texting OUT to MYBGE (69243), and via BGE’s free mobile app available today at the Apple Store or GooglePlay. BGE crews work as safely and quickly as possible to restore power.
For Immediate Release
Contact
Rachael Lighty
rachael.lighty@bge.com
Customers are encouraged to take steps now to prepare their homes and families in advance of the forecasted weather system
BALTIMORE (July 27, 2014) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) is mobilizing field crews and employees today in advance of forecasted thunderstorms; positioning crews to respond to weather-related power outages as quickly and as safely as possible, should they occur. Today’s forecast brings the potential for thunderstorms with high wind gusts and scattered lightning to the company’s central Maryland service area early this evening and throughout the day Monday. Just as BGE is preparing for the potential of severe weather, the company encourages customers to take steps now to prepare their homes and families in advance of the impact of the forecasted thunderstorms.
“The safety of our customers and our employees is our top priority and we encourage our customers to take the time now to have essential items and information ready and available prior to the impact of today’s forecasted storm,” said Stephen J. Woerner, president and chief operating officer for BGE. “Preparation is important as summer storms can quickly move into our service area with great intensity and without warning. We appreciate our customers’ efforts to prepare in advance for adverse weather and for their assistance in identifying and reporting outages and downed wires by calling BGE at 877.778.2222 or online via mobile phones and devices at the company’s mobile-enabled version of bge.com.”
Customers can also visit bge.com to view the company’s outage map and find information about storm preparedness and service restoration status. BGE keeps customers informed throughout severe weather events using a variety of channels, including traditional news media, bge.com and its social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr).
As a reminder, BGE customers who may be elderly, disabled or dependent on electricity for medical or life-sustaining equipment (Customers with Special Needs), should always have alternate arrangements in place should they experience an extended power outage.
BGE encourages its customers and employees to proactively prepare for severe weather and the possibility of power outages and to take steps to ensure the safety of their families and property during service interruptions by taking the following steps:
Customers also should consider filling the fuel tanks of their vehicles in the event a power outage affects service to neighborhood gas stations. For customers who rely on well water, filling a bathtub with water in advance of severe weather is strongly encouraged.
In addition to monitoring current and approaching weather conditions that could result in service interruptions, BGE regularly conducts emergency training drills during which all aspects of storm-related service restoration are tested. BGE’s most recent drill occurred in May of this year and involved a detailed review of BGE’s Electric Delivery Emergency Response Plan to ensure that storm response procedures are up-to-date and in line with industry standards. C
ustomers can find information on preparing for natural disasters and other emergency events at bge.com, as well as storm preparation information and restoration progress via BGE’s social media sites on Twitter and Facebook.
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BGE, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 655,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,400 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2013 revenues of approximately $24.9 billion. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.