News Releases

PPL Electric Utilities wants everyone to be safe around the electricity that powers our lives and is joining the call in May — National Electrical Safety Month — for continued diligence about safety, especially as new electrical technologies emerge.

The utility supports Electrical Safety Foundation International, which sponsors National Electrical Safety Month. In addition to highlighting technologies such as electric vehicles and solar and wind power, ESFI also is focusing on increasing public awareness of potential electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety.

In the United States, home electrical failures or malfunctions cause more than 50,000 fires each year, resulting in 450 deaths, nearly 1,500 injuries and over $1.5 billion in property damage, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

“Safety is our top corporate value as we work to maintain a reliable delivery network for our customers. We urge everyone to place the same importance on safety when it comes to avoiding potential electrical hazards at their homes and workplaces,” said Gregory N. Dudkin, president of PPL Electric Utilities.

As part of its public electrical safety outreach efforts, the utility recently mailed important, free safety information to thousands of contractors and first responders in its service territory. PPL’s information centers and environmental preserves at Lake Wallenpaupack and the Susquehanna Riverlands, as well as the Montour Environmental Preserve, also feature safety materials for the public.

Listen to public radio stations WDIY (Lehigh Valley), WVIA (northeast Pennsylvania) and WITF (Harrisburg) during May for reminders that PPL Electric Utilities offers important safety information at www.pplelectric.com/safety. Children, parents and teachers may find the online Electrical Safety World at this site to be an entertaining and educational resource.

In addition, select digital billboards will reinforce the need to call Pennsylvania One Call at 811 or 1-800-242-1776 at least three business days before any digging. This allows utilities to mark the presence of pipes and lines.

Remember also to use caution around overhead power lines. The safe distance from power lines increases as voltages increase. Call PPL Electric Utilities at 1-800-342-5775 if you are unsure of a line’s voltage. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also has safety clearance requirements.

The company’s online Outage Center, www.pplelectric.com/outagecenter, provides tips for staying safe during power outages.

ESFI reminds everyone about the tremendous safety benefits provided by existing home safety technologies, including arc fault circuit interrupters that protect against fires, ground fault circuit interrupters that protect against shock and tamper-resistant receptacles.

“While we are frequently inundated with news about the latest advances in home technologies, there is not a lot of information readily available to educate consumers about the potential electrical hazards associated with them,” said ESFI President Brett Brenner. “Understanding the safety concerns is particularly important when you are working with an existing home electrical system.”

The Electrical Safety Foundation International is dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety. ESFI proudly sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May, and engages in public education campaigns throughout the year to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the home and the workplace. For more information about ESFI and National Electrical Safety Month, visit www.esfi.org.

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), provides electric delivery service to 1.4 million customers in 29 counties of eastern and central Pennsylvania and has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.