With the strong possibility of ice, sleet, and snow accumulation in the Memphis and Shelby County area starting this afternoon, MLGW is taking precautions to ensure that utility service will remain as reliable as possible. In the event of outages, crews are on hand to respond as quickly and safely as possible.

MLGW is continually staying in contact with the National Weather Service and closely monitoring the weather situation. As a precaution, MLGW has delayed residential service disconnections for the remainder of the week.

"MLGW employees have been monitoring this situation and we have all of our resources in place. If indeed a significant storm blankets our city, we are ready to respond," said MLGW President and CEO Jerry Collins Jr.

Please do not assume that MLGW knows your power is out. Customers are reminded to call 544-6500 to report an electric outage. The automated outage reporting system will receive the report and let customers know of a possible restoration time, if one is available. Customers can update the phone number associated with their accounts by emailing mlgwcustomercare@mlgw.org or logging into MyAccount.

Customers are also encouraged to download MLGW’s App which is available in the Google Play and Apple iTunes market. MLGW’s App allows customers access to MLGW’s outage map and outage updates.


Customers are reminded to call the following numbers:

• To Report an Outage: 544-6500
• To Report an Emergency (such as downed lines or gas leaks): 528-4465.
• All Other Inquiries: 544-MLGW (6549)
   

MLGW Social Media:

• MLGW.com
• twitter.com/MLGW
• facebook.com/MLGW1
• mlgw.blogspot.com
• Free MLGW Apps: Google Play (play.google.com) and Apple Store (www.apple.com)

Winter Safety Information:

Water Pipes:
Water pipes can burst anytime temperatures are below freezing. A burst water pipe or water heater is considered to be an emergency situation and could pose a danger of flooding the building.

• Customers should open cabinet doors and turn water to a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing.
   
• Customers can also wrap pipes either in pipe insulation (available at hardware stores) or with towels, clothes, etc... to prevent pipes from freezing.
   
• If your pipes freeze, turn off the main valve inside your house (if possible).

Space Heaters and Gas Appliances:
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home, make sure that all natural gas appliances, such as your water heater, furnace and space heaters, are vented outside. Keep chimneys and flues clear of all debris, and use gas space heaters only according to manufacturers' instructions. We also recommend that you have your gas appliances inspected annually by a licensed professional.

Do not use space heaters overnight and when no one is home. Position space heaters so they are not positioned near flammable objects.

If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, seek medical assistance immediately and move the victim, if possible, to a well-ventilated area, then call our 24-hour emergency number, 528-4465.


Portable Generators:

• Portable Generators are a great way to back up your power in case an outage hits your home, but using one can be dangerous unless you follow these important safety tips:
   
• Never use a generator indoors or in an enclosed area such as a garage. Generators emit toxic carbon monoxide from the engine exhaust.
   
• A generator should only be operated in a well-ventilated and dry area, away from air intakes to the home. It should be protected from direct exposure to rain and snow, preferably under a canopy, open shed or carport.
   
• Do not attempt to restore power to your entire house by plugging the generator into a wall outlet. The electricity produced by a generator cannot only ruin your home's wiring and start a fire, it can also feed back into the utility system and energize a line thought to be without power possibly killing utility workers trying to restore power. It can also cause damage to the generator when electric service is restored.
   
• Handle fuel carefully. Turn the generator off prior to refueling. Gasoline, kerosene and other flammable liquids should be stored outside of living areas in properly labeled safety containers.
   
• Turn off or disconnect all appliances prior to operating a portable generator. Once the generator is running, appliances powered by the generator can be turned on one at a time.

For additional safety and energy-saving tips, visit mlgw.com

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 420,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County with some of the lowest combined rates in the U.S.