Potomac Edison Makes Water and Ice Available to Customers

WILLIAMSPORT, Md., June 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Potomac Edison customers in Maryland who lost power as a result of Friday's severe summer storm can receive one bag of ice and two gallons of water at no charge at any Martin's food stores in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, and Washington counties.

Tips for customers without power:

Customers who have not yet reported their outage should use the automated outage reporting line – 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877).  Customers calling regarding downed lines are urged to follow the prompts or to report the downed lines to their local police or fire departments. 

• Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer.  A full freezer can keep food frozen for up to three days if it's kept closed.
• Unplug major appliances until after the power has been restored.  Keep one light connected so you will know when the power is back on.
• Burning candles should never be left unattended in a house.
• Gasoline-powered generators should never be operated inside a home or attached garage.

For up-to-date information on the company's restoration effort, current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, go to www.firstenergycorp.com

In addition, customers can view timely, accurate and easy-to-use outage information through FirstEnergy's "24/7 Power Center" maps, accessible on desktops, smart phones and mobile devices at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.

During significant service interruptions, outage information is also available via the company's Twitter accounts.

Potomac Edison serves 251,000 customers in 7 Maryland counties.

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems.  Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed baseload coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.