Utilities provide tips to help area residents stay safe and warm
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – With icy winter weather forecast across the region, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with mutual assistance partners to prepare for any potential issues. The utilities encourage area residents plan in advance as well and offer tips to help residents stay safe and comfortable in their homes.
- Keep warm air in and cold air out – Ensure heating systems are operating efficiently. Seal leaks and gaps around the home with caulk, spray foam or weather-stripping. Make sure warm-air registers are not blocked by drapes or furniture. Check out additional cold weather energy saving tips on our website.
- Build an emergency kit – Keep an emergency kit on hand that includes a battery-powered radio, flashlights for everyone in the family, fresh batteries for any devices, a first-aid kit, and over-the-counter and prescription medications. Visit www.ready.gov for a complete list of essential emergency kit supplies.
- Avoid and report fallen power lines – Strong wind, snow and ice accumulation on tree branches can sometimes cause them to break and fall into power lines. Consider all fallen lines dangerous. Stay away and contact the utilities to report a downed wire. LG&E customers should call 502-589-1444; KU customers should call 1-800-981-0600.
- Stay informed – Download the LG&E and KU mobile app before inclement weather strikes. Customers can use the utilities’ mobile app, available from the Apple and Google stores, to access and keep track of near real-time outage information on the utilities’ online outage map. Customers can also use the app to report their outage and more.
LG&E and KU customers can also sign up for outage texting to report an outage to 4LGEKU (454358) and to request status updates from their mobile device.
How utilities are planning ahead
LG&E and KU’s system is built to withstand extreme conditions. When winter weather moves across Kentucky, the utilities monitor the forecast and are prepared to safely and quickly respond to severe weather impacts and reliably meet customers’ energy demands.
LG&E and KU cover more than 90 counties in Kentucky and have more than 40 crew centers. During severe weather events, the utilities are able to pull from their nearly 600 employee and resident contractor line technicians and other resources and position crews where they’re needed most.
Mutual Assistance Partnerships
In addition to these efforts, LG&E and KU maintain relationships, including four different mutual assistance partnerships, that provide access to invaluable resources and hundreds of crews from more than 20 states when mobilizing for potential large-scale restoration efforts.
Visit lge-ku.com/storm for more storm safety information.
###
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 332,000 natural gas and 425,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 564,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
