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PSE&G heat wave update: June 20, 2012 at 9:30 p.m.

-- Weather-related outages are affecting service to about 570 PSE&G customers at this time.  The utility has restored service to 7,000 Hudson County customers whose power was interrupted earlier this evening when an underground cable failed.

-- Additional crews will be working through the night to restore service. 

-- Today's unofficial peak demand was 9,772 megawatts set earlier this evening. The all-time peak demand of 11,108 megawatts was set in August 2006.

-- PJM, the regional grid operator, expects to have sufficient power supplies available to meet increased electricity usage as a result of the hot and humid weather. 

-- To get ready for summer, PSE&G has made substantial investments in its transmission and distribution system to maintain reliability and safely meet the increased demand for electricity.

-- Customers should consider the following conservation and cost-saving tips throughout the summer:

• Turn off everything you’re not using: lights, TVs, computers, etc. Use dimmers, timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
• Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to keep the sun’s heat out and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.
• Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home.  With central air, close off vents to unused rooms.
• Delay heat-producing tasks such as washing and drying laundry or dishes until later in the day, and wait until load is full.
• Refrain from using nonessential appliances. Unplug or use only when necessary an extra refrigerator in your garage.  Also, customers should consider setting their air conditioners to 78 degrees, health permitting.

-- If you experience a power outage, please call PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG.  Customers who are registered with My Account can also report power outages online. To do so, Log In now or register.

-- Customers can also monitor restoration progress by signing up and following us on our Twitter channel at http://twitter.com/psegdelivers.

** The next update will be at approx. 9:30 p.m.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne National Achievement Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).