CHICAGO, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crews from out-of-state utilities are now working in conjunction with ComEd crews to restore the approximately 110,000 customers who remain without power. Given the extensive damage to ComEd's system and the fact that access to some areas has been limited, some of these customers are likely to be out of service for several days.
ComEd is using every resource at its disposal including approximately 350 ComEd crews, working 16-hour shifts, and over 350 crews from contractors and other utilities including ComEd's Philadelphia-based sister utility PECO.
Customer Service Representatives in ComEd's Call Centers are working 16-hour shifts to take customer calls and keep them informed about the restoration effort. The Call Centers have handled more than 284,000 calls since the storm started and has been fully staffed 24-7 since the storm hit. Currently, more than 150 ComEd customer service representatives are fielding about 1,200 calls per hour.
"Once we've completed our initial assessment and restoration, those outages that remain are typically more complex and take longer to restore," said ComEd President Barry Mitchell. "The destruction caused by these powerful storms means that crews must clear trees from wires, replace poles and transformers, and string miles of new wire before electricity can be restored."
Since the series of destructive thunderstorms that downed power lines and severely damaged electrical equipment, crews have restored service to more than 575,000 customers. Restoration times for remaining outages are scheduled to be available from the ComEd Call Center Sunday evening.
"We greatly appreciate our customers' patience during this massive clean- up and restoration effort," Mitchell said. "We recognize that an outage of any duration is an inconvenience to our customers, and we are using every available resource to restore service as quickly as possible."
Public safety is paramount. Anyone seeing a downed power line is urged to immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661) and report the location. Spanish-speaking customers should call 1-800-95-LUCES (1-800-955- 8237). Never approach a downed power line. Always presume a power line is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not go into flooded basements, which could be electrified and potentially very dangerous. Check on elderly and other sensitive family members and neighbors to ensure their safety and make alternate arrangements, as it may be some time before their power is restored.
ComEd also offers the following suggestions for customers experiencing a prolonged outage:
-- Turn off all appliances including your furnace, water heater, and water pump. -- Leave a lamp on so you can know when power has been restored. -- Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed and open them only when necessary. Food will stay frozen for 36 to 48 hours in a fully loaded freezer, if the door remains closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours. -- Customers who are on medical support equipment are strongly encouraged to evacuate to a place where they can be comfortable and safe.
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation , one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.2 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.
