For Immediate Release
Contact
Rhea Lewis Marshall
rhea.marshall@bge.com
Customers should continue to report outages and downed wires to 877.778.2222 or online at bge.com
BALTIMORE (Feb. 15, 2015) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) crews have been working around the clock to restore service to customers who lost power following the high winds that affected its central Maryland service area Saturday evening into Sunday. As of 5 p.m. on Sunday, BGE has restored service to more than 99 percent of the approximately 58,000 affected customers, or more than 57,000 customers. All remaining customers affected by this weather system should be restored to service by late this evening.
"Restoring power after high winds is particularly challenging, because our crews cannot safely operate certain equipment, such as bucket trucks, if winds are too strong," said Rob Biagiotti, vice president and chief customer officer for BGE. "We appreciate our customers’ understanding of our commitment to their safety as well as the safety of our employees. Even with these conditions, we have been restoring power at a steady pace and are pleased to have nearly all of our customers back in service. We ask customers who experience new outages to report them to us, and also to make sure to tell us about any downed wires in their neighborhood."
Customers can report power outages and downed wires by calling BGE at 877.778.2222 or by visiting bge.com online or via a mobile device. Customers can also track the status of BGE’s outages on the online outage map.
BGE also provides periodic updates on restoration progress via its social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter.
BGE also encourages customers to use natural gas prudently this winter, especially during extremely cold weather. Customers should consider conserving gas usage during periods of bitter cold, including lowering the thermostat for gas furnaces and water heaters, and delaying any non-essential activities require gas heat. For energy conservation tips, visit bge.com/winterready
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BGE, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,200 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of natural 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 2014 revenues of approximately $27.4 billion. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.