Ahead of fire season, PG&E reminds customers to update contact information

PG&E will contact customers who live or work in a high fire threat area multiple times before initiating a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) due to hot temperatures, high winds and dry vegetation that foretell elevated wildfire conditions. That’s why it is crucial that PG&E has your updated contact information.

If you have a new cell phone number, a new preferred email address or just haven’t checked to make sure PG&E has your current information, contact the company at pge.com/mywildfirealerts or call 1-866-743-6589.

PG&E says 92,000 customers updated contact information in 2019, but 57,000 still need to share contact information to be prepared. Contact information is especially critical for medical baseline customers.

If your home or business is served by PG&E but you are not the account holder, you can still get alerts for your zip code at pge.com/pspszipcodealerts.

In addition to notifying customers directly, PG&E also will provide outage updates and information through social media, local news, radio and at pge.com.

The PSPS program is one of many safety measures that PG&E has in place as part of its Community Wildfire Safety Program to reduce wildfire threats.

Extreme weather threats can change quickly. PG&E’s goal, dependent on weather and other factors, is to send customer alerts through automated calls, texts and emails two days ahead, again one day ahead and just prior to shutting off power.

To prepare for PSPS events, PG&E encourages customers to:

• Have an emergency plan. Review it with friends, family and neighbors and practice evacuations
• Check in with elderly neighbors and friends who may have special needs.
• Update or create a go bag or 72-hour kit that can be used if you need to evacuate.
• Prepare an emergency supply kit with food, water, flashlights, batteries, medications and other critical supplies.
• Customers with pets should identify in advance which kennels, shelters or veterinarians can care for pets during an emergency.
• Clear defensible space around your home or business.