NATIONAL GRID CONTINUES TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO RESTORE REMAINING MASSACHUSETTS CUSTOMERS

98 Percent of Customers Affected By Irene Will Have Power By End of Today

WALTHAM, MA (09/02/2011)(readMedia)--

Customers Should Make Homes Ready To Have
Electric Service Restored Safely

By the end of today, National Grid expects to restore power to 98 percent of the 427,000 customers affected by the devastation left by Hurricane Irene. For customers in remote areas, or in places where damage was particularly extensive, restoration of power will occur over the weekend, with full restoration complete by Sunday night. As of 5 p.m. on Friday, approximately 9,000 National Grid customers were without power, primarily in southeastern Massachusetts, which was hit particularly hard by Irene's damaging winds.

Thousands of people, including crews from National Grid and outside crews from as far away as Texas, Colorado, Canada and Florida have been working around the clock to restore power to customer across the state.

"We understand that customers who still don't have power are very frustrated, and we truly appreciate their patience as we work to complete the restoration process," said Ellen Smith, National Grid chief operations officer. "We are grateful to our crews and all the people supporting this massive effort. They have worked tirelessly in Irene's wake to get our customers back online, and will continue until every customer has power."

According to the Edison Electric Institute, nearly six million customers up and down the eastern seaboard lost power because of Irene.

"Virtually every available utility crew and line worker east of the Rockies have been mobilized to help bring power back online," said EEI President Tom Kuhn, noting that nearly 1,500 crews have been dispatched in New England alone. "Irene's sustained high winds and rain over such a huge portion of the East, with major flooding an ongoing problem in many areas, will make this one for the record books. So, our industry is mobilizing a huge response to a very punishing storm."

Make Homes Ready To Have Electric Service Restored Safely

Our goal is to restore customers' power as quickly as possible. Some customers may have incurred damage to the part of the electric system attached to their homes that is owned by the customers instead of National Grid. This includes:

  • Weatherhead and insulator, the equipment located at the point where the overhead electric line that runs from the utility pole connects to a home;
  • Service entry cable, which is the wire that runs from the weatherhead to the electric meter and from the meter to the service panel in the home;
  • Meter box on which the electric meter is mounted; and
  • Main service panel, which includes the circuit breakers and fuse boxes for the electric service in the home.

National Grid cannot safely reconnect service to homes with damage to the above equipment until a licensed electrician repairs any damage to the customer-owned equipment. If a customer has sustained damage to this equipment, we advise you to hire a licensed electrician to repair the damage so as to avoid a delay in the restoration of electric service.

National Grid is responsible for and will repair overhead electric lines that run from the utility pole to a residence. We also will maintain the electric meter whether it is attached to the inside or the outside of the building. By ensuring that the electric system attached to their home is in good working order, customers can make their homes ready to have service restored safely and quickly.

Important Safety Information

If you use a generator, make sure your wiring system is disconnected from our system before operating the generator. This is necessary to prevent your generator's electricity from going back into our system, which could endanger the lives of line crews and your neighbors. Be sure to only use generators outdoors. Exhaust fumes contain poisonous carbon monoxide and can kill or cause serious injury.

If your home is flooded:

Check with an electrician before turning anything on.

  • Do not turn off the gas meter even in the event of an evacuation. The gas meter should be left on to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within the house and to prevent water from entering the lines should flooding occur.
  • Most gas appliances have safety valves that shut off the flow of gas automatically if the pilot light goes out. If your appliances have been in contact with water, please contact a licensed plumbing or heating contractor to make sure the appliances are safe to operate.
  • If we shut off your gas service for safety reasons, we will provide instructions on steps required to safely restore service. Don't forget to check outdoor appliances, such as pool heaters and gas grills.

Log on to www.nationalgridus.com for more information on how to stay safe after Irene.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.

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