PHILADELPHIA (September 6, 2018) – With the peak of Atlantic hurricane season quickly approaching, PECO is observing September as National Preparedness Month to remind customers of the importance of being prepared for severe weather and other emergencies.

"The safety of our customers, communities and employees is always our top priority," said John McDonald, PECO senior vice president and COO. "We work throughout the year to ensure our employees and systems are ready for any extreme weather that may occur. National Preparedness Month is a great reminder for all of us that being prepared is a responsibility everyone should take seriously."

Each year, PECO invests approximately $500 million to enhance its electric infrastructure, including preventive maintenance and equipment upgrades to provide safe and reliable energy to customers. In addition, through PECO's System 2020 plan, the company is investing an additional $274 million through 2020 to install advanced equipment and reinforce the local electric system, making it more weather resistant and less vulnerable to storm damage.

To help customers plan and prepare for an emergency, PECO offers the following tips:

• Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.

• Identify an alternate location for you and/or your family in case of an extended outage.

• Review the manufacturer's instructions for safe operation of your generator. Do not connect a generator directly to your home's wiring. Never use a generator indoors or in any enclosed area.

• Follow the advice of local emergency management officials.

• Stay far away from any storm damaged electrical equipment, especially downed lines. You should always assume downed lines are energized. Report a downed wire immediately by calling PECO at 1-800-841-4141.

​If severe storms hit, PECO has many online resources to keep customers informed. Through our customer preference center, PECO customers can choose to receive a message via text, email or phone, when power is out in their area, when power is restored, or when the estimated restoration time for their outage changes. Customers should visit peco.com/alerts to sign up. Customers can report their outage through PECO's two-way texting program by texting "ADDOUTAGE" to MYPECO (697326). Customers can enroll in the program, report outages and check the status of their outage through text messaging. To use this service a customer's mobile number must be registered with their account.

​As part of the Exelon family of companies, PECO also participates in collaborative emergency response training exercises with its sister companies—Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva and Pepco—and shares best practices to ensure it can provide seamless support and resources to another Exelon company during a storm or emergency restoration effort.

Launched in 2004, National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During the month, FEMA and DHS encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in all facets of their lives.

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PECO, founded in 1881, is Pennsylvania's largest electric and natural gas utility.  Headquartered in Philadelphia, PECO delivers energy to more than 1.6 million electric customers and more than 516,000 natural gas customers in southeastern, Pennsylvania.  The company's 2,500 employees are dedicated to the safe and reliable delivery of electricity and natural gas as well as enhanced energy management conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance.  PECO was named 2017 Best Mid-size Employer in Philadelphia by Forbes Magazine. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $4.3 billion in Pennsylvania, supporting more than 8,700 local jobs and producing $732 million in labor income.  PECO is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's only Fortune 100 utility and leading competitive energy provider. For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.

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