Mon Power and Potomac Edison Complete Inspections and Maintenance to Help Reduce Outages for West Virginia Customers This Summer

Companies offer tips for customers to manage rising temperatures and energy costs

FAIRMONT, W.Va., June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of increased electric use along with the potential for seasonal storms, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison are completing equipment inspections, preventive maintenance and tree-trimming work across their West Virginia service territories to help reduce potential outages and improve reliability for customers this summer.

Jim Myers, FirstEnergy's Acting President, West Virginia: "Proactive inspections and maintenance of our lines and equipment are vital to ensuring that we can continue to deliver safe, reliable power to our customers and help them stay comfortable as temperatures rise this summer."

Mon Power and Potomac Edison personnel inspected more than 300 West Virginia substations earlier this spring and completed needed repairs prior to the summer. Thermovision cameras were used to capture infrared images that can reveal potential problems with equipment. By identifying hot spots, maintenance and repairs can be completed before a power outage occurs.

Crews also conducted thorough inspections along neighborhood power lines and focused on more than 700 capacitors that maintain proper electric voltage along a power line. These devices are especially useful in remote locations because they automatically adjust voltage levels to accommodate changing system conditions.

To help minimize the impact of tree-related damages during severe weather, Mon Power and Potomac Edison's tree contractors plan to clear vegetation along approximately 6,800 miles of power lines in 2024 to help enhance electric service reliability for West Virginia customers. They had already completed that work along more than 3,000 miles of power lines this spring.

As part of the company's investment in vegetation management this year, trees have been inspected and pruned in a manner that helps preserve the health of the tree while maintaining safe clearances near electrical equipment. In some cases, trees that present a danger or are diseased may be removed. Similar work will be performed along hundreds of miles of the company's high-voltage transmission power lines in West Virginia.

At its regulated power plants, Fort Martin Power Station and Harrison Power Station, Mon Power has cleaned and inspected generation equipment—including main turbines, boiler feed pumps and condensers—to ensure optimal performance during the summer months.

With the summer storm season also comes higher-than-usual temperatures and rising energy costs. The following tips can help customers beat the heat while also managing their electric bills this summer:

• Use fans – moving air cools skin faster, resulting in greater comfort on hot days.
• During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on windows facing the sun to prevent direct radiant heating from impacting interior temperatures.
• Use a programmable or smart thermostat to keep temperatures higher when no one is home and to reduce the temperature before arrival back home.
• Seal any leaks with caulk or weather stripping to prevent warm air from sneaking into your home.
• Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than necessary.
• Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day. The less heat produced at home, the less work the air conditioner must do.
• Payment arrangements and assistance programs are available for customers who need help with their electric bills. For more information, visit firstenergycorp.com/billassist.

Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Follow Mon Power at mon-power.com, on X, formerly known as Twitter, @MonPowerWV, and on Facebook at facebook.com/MonPowerWV. 

Potomac Edison serves about 151,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison at www.potomacedison.com, on X @PotomacEdison and on Facebook at facebook.com/PotomacEdison.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.