ALLENTOWN, Pa. — PPL Electric said Monday it is prepared to maintain reliable electric service as the coronavirus pandemic deepens.
“Those we serve in central and eastern Pennsylvania depend on us and we’ll continue to deliver for them,” said PPL Electric Utilities President Greg Dudkin Monday in a press release. “Efforts over the past decade to develop a more reliant, resilient and smarter grid, coupled with effective pandemic planning and emergency management, will help us weather this health crisis. We have the backs of our customers and communities."
PPL said it has already taken steps — including suspending all international business travel and nonessential domestic business travel — to limit potential employee exposure to the coronavirus.
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Other measures include limiting public and contractor access to PPL buildings, the company said.
PPL said it is also taking the following steps to limit physical interactions with customers:
• Employees and contractors have suspended non-critical repair work on service meters and metering equipment if that work requires contact with the customer or the general public.
• Employees and contractors also are suspending any work that involves entry into a customer’s premises -- except for meter repair issues that can be performed without customer or other social contact.
The state Public Utility Commission on Friday ordered all utilities in the state to stop service cutoffs for nonpayment during the pandemic. It also encouraged utilities to restore service to customers whose service was recently disconnected, to the extent they can do so safely. PPL said it is complying with those directives. It will continue to disconnect service as requested by customers who are moving, or when necessary for safety reasons, the company added.
The utility also stands ready to assist with the pandemic’s expected economic impact on customers, including small businesses. The company reminded customers that assistance programs for income-qualified customers and other services like budget billing, changing a bill's due date, and other services are standing by to help.
Information on PPL’s assistance programs can be found at pplelectric.com/billhelp.
