(NEWARK, N.J. – May 15, 2018) Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest electric and gas utility, is preparing for the approaching system that could bring thunderstorms, rain and gusty winds and cause power outages.

"We’re monitoring weather reports and have additional personnel, contractors and equipment at the ready,” said John Latka, senior vice president of electric and gas operations for PSE&G. “We encourage customers to prepare for storms by bringing in unsecured objects, charging cell phones and ensuring they are subscribed to MyAlerts.”

High winds can cause flying debris, and bring down trees and power lines. Customers should be cautious and stay alert to their surroundings during and after storms:

• Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything it might be in contact with. If a wire falls on or near your car, stay inside the car, call 911, and do not get out until PSE&G deenergizes the line. If you MUST get out of the vehicle because it is on fire, jump as far as possible away from the vehicle, with both feet landing on the ground at the same time, and hop or shuffle away.
• To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run any gasoline-powered generators in a garage or any other enclosed space.

To report downed wires or power outages, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG.  Customers also can report outages by logging into their PSE&G account online or by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734). They can register for MyAlerts by texting “REG” to 4PSEG (47734). The utility’s mobile-friendly website includes an Outage Map that is updated every 15 minutes and displays the location and status of power outages in PSE&G’s service area.

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PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population.  PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability.  PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company.