WALTHAM, MA – With colder weather and storm season approaching, including the likelihood of rain and strong winds later today, National Grid is encouraging customers to proactively prepare their homes and businesses for the weeks and months ahead.

Every day, National Grid works to ensure that customers receive the safest and most reliable energy service possible. National Grid has secured sufficient natural gas supplies to keep customers warm this winter, and is continuously inspecting, investing in, and upgrading critical infrastructure, performing vegetation management services to keep power lines clear of obstructions, and preparing our crews to respond to major weather events.

In 2021, National Grid made more than $800 million in infrastructure and related investments across Massachusetts, including work that upgraded and secured critical facilities that help power and heat homes and businesses. These investments along with other efforts have resulted in National Grid having strong system performance so far in 2022, with our electric network operating at 99.995 availability -- a nearly 7 percent improvement over 2021 – providing customers with reliable electric service day-in and day-out.

“As we head into the late fall and begin winter, the chance for inclement weather to potentially impact our customers in Massachusetts is greatly increased,” said Tanya Moniz-Witten, Vice President of New England Electric Operations. “Ahead of storm season, we recommend all our customers make sure they are prepared in case of outages in their area. National Grid takes steps throughout the year to make our system more resilient, but major storms can cause significant damage.  In the event of a power outage, our crews and support teams will be ready and working for as long as needed to safely restore service as quickly as possible.”

Winter will also mean higher electric and gas bills. National Grid recognizes increased bills will pose challenges for many customers. In September, the company launched its Winter Customer Savings Initiative, which is designed to help customers reduce their energy use and lower energy costs, manage their energy bills and payments, and help them secure available energy assistance if they need it. More information about the initiative can be found at ngrid.com/heretohelp.   

Before inclement weather brings challenges to the region, National Grid is offering customers the following tips and reminders: 

Stay Safe: 

• People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a life support customer, call the company’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-322-3223.

Prepare your home:

• Customers with generators are encouraged to conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the generator is operating safely.
• If applicable, schedule a home’s furnace tune-up to ensure it is in proper working order, and ensure it and any water heaters are properly vented.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and change the batteries every year.
• Remove dead or rotting branches on trees.
• Schedule a free Mass Save home energy assessment to learn ways to reduce winter energy use.  Call 888-774-3167 to schedule an appointment.

Prepare a winter emergency kit in the event of a major storm with the following items:

• Water – the American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per person per day.
• Food – at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food, plus a can opener.
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio.
• Flashlight and extra batteries.
• First-aid kit.
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
• Personal hygiene supplies.
• Extra cash.
• Cell phone with chargers.
• Emergency contact numbers.

Other items to consider may be found on the National Grid website here.

Customers Should Stay Connected:

• Report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212.
• Use a mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grid’s mobile site accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile.
• Like National Grid on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram; National Grid posts all the latest storm and restoration updates.
• Track outages and estimated restoration times at www.nationalgridus.com/outage-central.
• Make sure National Grid has updated email addresses and phone numbers on file. Update contact information at ngrid.com. Click on sign in/register.
• To stay connected during storms and outages, text to 64743 using any of the below commands.
• REG to sign up for text alerts
• OUT to report an outage
• SUM followed by your town, county, or state to get a summary of outages in your area
• HELP for the full list of commands  

Additional safety information may be found at https://www.nationalgridus.com/MA-Home/Storm-Safety/

About National Grid