Extreme heat is forecasted for our area this week. Your safety is our highest priority.

When severe weather hits, we're ready – and we want you to be too. We work hard to keep reliable electricity flowing to all our customers. But extreme heat and other circumstances can cause power outages.

If you or someone you know relies on life-support equipment or other electric medical devices, it's important to be prepared.

Stay Cool and Conserve Energy

• Keep your drapes closed and shades down to reduce the amount of energy needed to cool your home.
• Use clothes dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late evening to avoid producing a lot of heat in your home.
• Use only lights and appliances that are needed. A basic lightbulb can add heat to a room.
• Instead of cooking with your oven or conventional range, use your microwave.
• Relax in rooms that do not receive direct sunlight or stay on the lowest floor of your home.
• Check on your neighbors who are vulnerable to heat-related illness: elderly, infants and children, those who are ill.

Before an Outage Occurs

• Save important telephone numbers (e.g., local fire department, paramedics, police, hospital, doctor, relatives, friends, ComEd) to your mobile phone and keep them written by landline phones.
• Have a plan for moving life-support equipment and the person who uses it if a power outage occurs.
• Have a phone in your home that works even when the power goes out.
• Keep new or freshly-charged batteries on hand for equipment that has battery back-up.
• Consider getting an uninterruptible power source or portable generator.
  

If Your Power Goes Off

• Check with neighbors to see if power is out in your area or just your home. If only your home is without electricity, please check the fuses or breakers before calling ComEd.
• Call the appropriate emergency number or 911 if someone in your home needs immediate medical attention or transportation to a medical facility.
• Call 1-800-334-7661 to report an outage or other electrical emergencies any time of day.

If You Use a Generator for Back-up Power

• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using a generator.
• Only operate generators outside and in well-ventilated areas. Gasoline-powered generators produce carbon monoxide, and the fumes can be deadly.
• Connect equipment directly into the generator using heavy-duty, properly grounded extension cords. Make sure extension cords are not frayed or worn.
• Never connect a generator to your building's wiring. Improperly connected generators can feed electricity back into the system, endangering the lives of people working to restore power.