Long Island, NY - November 26th, 2013 - National Grid is now gearing up for possible electric service interruptions due to anticipated strong winds and snow tonight and tomorrow. Heavy snow and wind gusts of 45 miles per hour are expected throughout Upstate New York, with the most severe weather likely early on Wednesday, November 27.

To prepare, the company has secured additional crews that are ready for deployment to key areas of its service territory and has readied equipment in the event of weather severe enough to cause power outages. The company also is communicating its plans to communities and municipal officials throughout the region.

National Grid’s first priority is to ensure that it is fully prepared for any adverse weather events impacting the communities it serves. By continuously being prepared, the company hopes to dramatically improve performance and customer satisfaction, while minimizing disruptions in service.

National Grid customers who experience outages should call National Grid’s outage line at 1-800-867-5222 to expedite restoration. The company also encourages customers to keep in touch throughout the storm by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743), downloading the free National Grid mobile app and following National Grid on Twitter, Facebook and its new U.S. Connecting website.

National Grid also urges its customers to use caution throughout the duration of this weather event:

Tips for Wind Safety and Wires Down

• Strong winds can cause local electrical service interruptions. It’s a good idea to have a number of working flashlights, at least one battery-operated radio and an extra supply of batteries in your home.
• Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.
• People who depend on electric-powered life support equipment, such as a respirator, should let National Grid know. To register as a National Grid life support customer, call the company’s Customer Service Contact Center at 1-800-642-4272.
• People should consider any downed wire they see to be live and dangerous. If you see any fallen lines, broken poles or trees touching wires, please stay clear of the surrounding area and contact National Grid immediately.
• Customers with generators should be sure to install them outside to avoid deadly carbon monoxide. Open windows are inadequate for safely ventilating a generator. To ensure safety, operate generators only outdoors. Before installing generators, be sure to disconnect from National Grid’s system by shutting off the main breaker located in the electric service panel.
• Finally, note National Grid’s emergency outage reporting number, 1-800-867-5222 and keep it handy. Reporting outages as soon as possible helps expedite restoration.

About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it ‘joins everything up’.

In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.

National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. It manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation, providing power to over one million LIPA customers. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com