Kenneth (Kenny) MercadoDivision Vice President

of Distribution Electric Operations

Turning on the Lights

Preparing Your Home Utilities

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5,000 square-mile electric service territory serving nearly 2 million customers

Owns and maintains the power lines and electric distribution system

Also delivers natural gas to 1 million customers in the Houston area

Who is CenterPoint Energy?

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Be prepared

Develop an evacuation plan before a hurricane strikes - keep this in mind:

Category 1 storm – expect power outages for 2-3 days

Category 3 storm – 2 weeks

Category 5 storm – 2 months

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Make other arrangements for emergency circumstances

1st priority in restoring service is to key facilities vital to safety, healthy and welfare, such as hospitals, water treatment plants and public service facilities

After hurricane – CNP will assess damage

Restoration work will not stop until all customers have power

Preparation tips

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Pre-storm safety tips Electric Utilities

Unplug sensitive electrical appliances, such as your computer

Turn off circuit breakers

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Do not turn off your natural gas at the meter

If you choose to discontinue your gas service - turn off the gas at each appliance

Pre-storm safety tips Gas Utilities

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Post-storm electric safety tips

If you experienced flooding and water has risen above the electrical outlets in your home, contact a licensed electrician before turning on the main circuit breaker or trying to restore power

If electrical appliances and electronic equipment have been submerged in water, all appliances and electronic equipment need to dry thoroughly for at least one week

If the outside unit of an air conditioning system has been under water, mud and water may have accumulated in the controls. Have the unit checked by a qualified air conditioning technician

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Post-storm electric safety tips

Check your home’s weatherhead

Checking on your home Call answering machine

Call neighbors

Monitor the news

Check CenterPoint Energy’s Web site – www.CenterPointEnergy.com

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Post-storm portable generator tips

Do not connect portable generators directly to a building's wiring without a licensed electrician first disconnecting the house wiring from CenterPoint Energy's service

Never run a portable generator indoors or in a garage - place it in a well ventilated area

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Post-storm natural gas safety tips

If your home was flooded, call a licensed plumber or a gas appliance technician to inspect your appliances and gas piping to make sure it is in good operating condition before calling CenterPoint Energy to reconnect service

If you’ve had no flooding in your home and your natural gas is turned off at the meter, call CenterPoint Energy to reconnect service

Be alert for gas leaks as you return home or businesses to assess damage

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Post-storm natural gas safety tips

If you smell gas, leave the area immediately

Do not turn the lights on or off, smoke, strike a match, use a cell phone or operate anything that might cause a spark

Do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off

Call the Texas One Call Hotline 1-800-545-6005 before you dig

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We restore power as quickly and safely as possible and want to help all customers stay safe