Preparing for the Summer Heat

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Keeping your home or business cool requires more energy as temperatures rise. But a little preparation can help you stay comfortable and manage your summer energy bills.

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Here are some simple ways to help save money and energy:

  • Turn off lights when you leave the room
  • Close window blinds and curtains to keep the sun from warming your home or office
  • If health permits, set the temperature on your air conditioner a few degrees higher – but be sure to stay comfortable
  • Use window or whole house ventilating fans
  • Unplug electronics when they are not in use
  • Place a dry towel in your clothes dryer with each load of wet laundry to absorb dampness and reduce drying time
  • Barbecue outside instead of heating up your kitchen with the stove or oven

For more ways to save, visit our Save Money and Conserve Energy section. You will find tips to help you save money and energy, as well as information about programs in your area that can help you save even more.

The Summer Storm Season Is Here

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Weather can be unpredictable, but taking a little time to prepare before a storm strikes can help you stay safe and connected to information in the event of severe weather. We encourage you to review this information and take steps to prepare now.

Before a Storm Strikes
Assemble an emergency storm kit with bottled water, nonperishable foods, blankets, flashlights and extra batteries, a first-aid kit and hand tools. Be sure to stock prescriptions, special medical or infant supplies and other essentials. Then develop and practice an emergency plan with everyone in your household.

If you rely on emergency or life-support equipment such as a respirator or kidney dialysis machine, our Emergency Medical Equipment Notification Program (EMENP) can provide advanced notice of severe storms and scheduled outages. Visit delmarva.com/emenp to learn more.

If severe weather is approaching, charge cell phones and mobile devices, protect and unplug electronics and fill your tub if your water supply depends on electricity. Be sure to download our mobile app to help you stay connected to information.

If Power Goes Out

  • Restoring power safely takes time. Follow these steps to minimize the effect of an outage in your home.
  • Unplug or turn off TVs, appliances and lights, keeping one lamp switched on so you know when power has been restored
  • Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed
  • Close blinds and shades to keep rooms cool
  • Always operate portable generators outside, away from doors and windows so deadly fumes won’t enter your home or garage
  • Drink plenty of water and avoid overheating
  • When conditions are safe, check on elderly or home-bound neighbors who may be vulnerable to heat stress

Get Free Energy-Saving Trees

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Tree Planting2Delmarva Power and the Arbor Day Foundation are offering free trees to help you conserve energy. Trees are available on a first-come, first-serve basis from March 20 through June 6, while supplies last. Distribution is limited to two, 2-to-4 foot trees per customer. To get your free trees, visit www.arborday.org/delmarva today.

Properly planted trees help reduce energy use through summer shading and by slowing winter winds. As your trees grow, they will have the potential to lower energy bills by 15 to 30 percent.

To help you plant your tree in the right place, the Arbor Day Foundation offers you an online mapping tool that will:

  • Map your house
  • Show you the right trees for your area
  • Locate the best place to plant them
  • Calculate how much you can expect to save

To learn more about this program, please visit http://www.arborday.org/delmarva.

Be Aware of Scams

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We want to alert our residential and commercial customers to several scams taking place in our area.

Fake Invoices

Some scammers, posing as third-party energy suppliers, are sending fake utility bills via email to customers, asking them to click on an enclosed link. It is suspected that, by clicking the link, your computer could become infected with a virus or malware.

For your protection, we ask that you pay your utility bill by going to our website, mailing us the hard copy of the remittance portion of your invoice or visiting one of our Customer Courtesy Centers. Do not open any email asking for payment unless it was sent by us or your respective third-party energy supplier.

Reloadable Debit Cards

Scammers are also contacting customers and telling them that their electric service will be shut off for non-payment unless they purchase a reloadable debit card (Green Dot MoneyPak or Vanilla card).

Victims are instructed to call a phone number and provide the card’s account number and unique serial number. Once the scammer obtains the card’s identifying information, the value is stolen.

Commercial customers are also being told to use the same method of payment to have a new meter installed. The caller claims that the state has mandated these meter changes. This is not true.

Always Use Caution

Many utility companies, including Delmarva Power, contact customers in person or via phone for various reasons. If someone claims to represent our company or another entity, it is important that you verify the employee’s identification—especially if they are requesting immediate payment. When addressing past due accounts, we always offer multiple payment options.

Our employees always carry an official company identification card. If proper identification cannot be produced when asked, you should notify the police or the company with whom the individual claims to be associated. Similarly, if someone calls claiming to represent a company, ask them to verify their identity and affiliation.

If you have any doubt about the validity of a person claiming to represent Delmarva Power, please call us immediately at 1-800-375-7117.

Preparing for Winter Storms

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Use these helpful tips to be ready when severe weather strikes in winter.

  • DPL XA5A0210AAssemble an emergency storm kit containing bottled water, non-perishable foods, blankets, flashlights and extra batteries, first-aid kit and prescription medications, special medical or infant supplies, hand tools and other essential items
  • If using a portable generator, always operate it outside and away from doors and windows to prevent deadly carbon monoxide fumes from entering the home
  • Purchase a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector for your home if you plan to use an alternative source of heat – carbon monoxide is not only colorless and odorless, it is deadly
  • Clear snow away from appliance vents located outside your home so your heater, clothes dryer and other appliances will continue to operate safely
  • If your home has a heat pump, clear it of snow to make sure air can circulate properly
  • Remember to take breaks while clearing snow and avoid over exerting yourself
  • When conditions are safe, check on elderly or home-bound neighbors
  • Ensure your contact information is up to date (Have your account number available, call 1-800-375-7117 and say “update phone number”)

For more safety tips, download and print our Storm Preparation Handbook. Please remember to report outages and downed wires by calling 1-800-898-8042, using the mobile app or by visiting our website.

Tips for Conserving Electricity

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Demand for electricity is expected to increase as the extremely cold weather lingers for the next several days. Customers are encouraged to conserve electricity, if health permits – especially from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Customers can take these simple electricity conservation steps:

  • Set thermostats lower than usual, if health permits.
  • Turn off electric lights and appliances that you do not need or are not using.
  • Gather in a central room where you have alternative heat. At night, cover windows with drapes or blankets to minimize heat loss. During the day, open blinds to let sun warm the space.
  • Keep draperies and shades open during the day to let the sunshine in; close them at night.
  • Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.

You can also view our Helpful Ways to Save brochure for more conservation tips.