On Wednesday, August 31st, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency throughout the state as we will experience an extreme heatwave that may strain the power grid with increased energy demands. While PG&E has no rotating block outages currently planned, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has informed PG&E and other power utilities in the state that they may need to turn power off to California customers during periods of peak energy demand.
PG&E encourages its customers to reduce electricity use, particularly during the afternoon and evening, when air conditioners are typically at peak use.
Customers should also follow these conservation tips:
- Adjust thermostats to 78 degrees or higher if health permits or turn it off if you will be away from home. Use a fan instead of air conditioning, when possible.
- Draw drapes and turn off unnecessary lighting.
- Unplug phone charges, power strips (those without a switch) and other equipment when not in use. Avoid using electrical appliances and devices. Put off tasks such as vacuuming, laundry, dish washing and computer time until after 10 p.m.
- Set pool pumps to run overnight instead of during the day.
Comcast services require commercial power to operate. During a power outage, these Comcast services including internet and video, as well as landline and even mobile phone services for homes and businesses, may stop functioning within hours after the commercial power is shut off.
Even if your home has power, Comcast services can be disrupted. This happens because power outages disrupt the overall power grid, and the location of the Comcast facilities that provide service to your home may be affected by the power outage even if your home is not.
Comcast understands this disruption to services is frustrating and has a major impact on people’s lives and businesses. The safety of our communities and employees is our utmost priority.
Here are a few things you can do to prepare for a power outage:
- Confirm your contact information at xfinity.com/myaccount—We will use this information to contact you if we expect a service disruption caused by a planned power outage. You can also use My Account to check if your service has been restGet ored.
- Comcast Business customers can check their My Account app or the Comcast Business Status Center to get information and valuable updates.
- Download your favorite shows and movies for offline viewing—With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch shows and movies offline in case you lose power.
- Download the Xfinity Connect App to receive Xfinity Voice calls via your mobile phone—Xfinity Voice customers can make and receive calls with their Xfinity phone number using their mobile phone.
- Visit the Comcast California Blog where we will post information, updates and answers to commonly asked questions.
- Follow us on Twitter —our handle is @ComcastCA and we regularly post valuable updates.
Throughout the years, Comcast has continued to stay proactive and resilient in finding ways to keep you and your families better connected during power outages and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events.
In many of the high fire-threat areas where power outages are more frequent, we’ve installed back-up power units that will allow you to utilize Comcast services (Internet, video, and landline phone) during a commercial power outage provided that your home or business has a backup power source.
Even if power is off, please know that Comcast’s team never stops working for you. From our family to yours, we hope you remain safe and secure during this time.
