Inclement Weather Creates Service Order Backlog

Due to inclement weather, MLGW has a backlog of  service orders to be completed. 

If you have requested new service, transfer of service or disconnection of service, then we will be working those requests on Saturday, March 7, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.  

 If you would like to reschedule or cancel your request, please call 544-6549. 

Spring Forward Sunday, March 8

Did you know Benjamin Franklin is credited with the concept of daylight saving time? The basic idea is to make the best use of daylight hours by shifting the clock forward in the spring and backward in the fall. In 2005, President Bush signed into law a new energy policy bill that extends daylight saving time by four weeks. The bill took effect in 2007. Therefore, daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March.

Source: Nasa.gov

MLGW Community Offices Open at 10 am Today

All MLGW Community Offices will re-open at 10 a.m. today.

MLGW Community Office locations are located at Main Office, 245 South Main Street; North Community Office. 2424 Summer Avenue; South Community Office, 2935 Lamar Avenue; Whitehaven Community Office, 1111 East Shelby Drive; and Millington Community Office, 5131 Navy Road.

No service disconnections will occur Friday.

MLGW Prepared for Possible Icy Conditions

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 Delays Disconnects Due To Cold Temps

The delay will last until the end of the week.

In anticipation of severe cold temperatures, starting today through the end of the week, MLGW will not cutoff residential services.

Service disconnections are a last resort. MLGW monitors weather forecasts on a daily basis to determine whether to implement its weather policy on disconnects.

Given the extended nature of this latest round of winter weather, residential disconnects will not occur for the remainder of the week.

Customers are encouraged to continue managing their utility bill. For assistance, customers can call MLGW Customer Care at 544-6549.

Winter Energy Tips + Protect Your Pipes

Winter energy tips

Follow these tips to keep your hard-earned energy dollars from escaping your home.

• Set your heating thermostat no higher than 68 degrees. Each degree above 68 adds as much as four percent to your bill.

• Dress in layers to retain body heat.

• Keep delivery and return vents open in rooms you use and closed in those you don’t.

• Keep central heating air filters clean.

• Close garage doors.

• Add weather stripping and insulation to your home to prevent air from escaping.


Protect your pipes from freezing

Freezing temperatures make your pipes vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. Therefore, you must protect your pipes from freezing temperatures.

• Open interior cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer air, turn all inside faucets to a slow drip, and wrap or cover all exposed outside faucets.

• Do not turn your heat off if you are going out of town; just turn it down several degrees.

• Do not forget to insulate your above-ground water pipes, too. Pipes in the crawlspace or basement under your house could be susceptible to a deep freeze; therefore, pipe insulation is always important. Water heater pipes in the attic should be insulated, as well.

Sisnett named Board Chair

Derwin Sisnett was recently named the new MLGW Board of Commissioners Chairman for 2015. He replaces Rick Masson.

Prior to co-founding Gestalt Community Schools, Chairman Sisnett served as the Executive Director of the Power Center CDC, a Community Development Corporation in the Hickory Hill community. In addition to his work at GCS, Sisnett is active at the University of Memphis where he serves as an adjunct professor in the department of Educational Psychology and Research. He is also a member of several community-based organizations.

Darrell Cobbins will serve as the Vice Chair for 2015.