With a recent increase in the number of reported phone scam attempts, PSEG Long Island again urges residents and business owners to make themselves aware of the tactics scammers use to try to steal their money.
Phone scammers have become more crafty and creative in recent months. In many cases, the scammers can change their caller ID so that it appears their calls are coming from “PSEG Long Island.” More than 6,600 calls were reported to PSEG Long Island in 2019, up from 4,088 scam calls reported in 2018. There is usually an increase in scam calls around holiday weekends when scammers know that customers will be distracted from everyday things.
“Phone scammers want their targets to panic so they don’t think clearly,” said Rick Walden, vice president of customer operations for PSEG Long Island, who also said in a news release that the utility never demands immediate payment and does not accept prepaid debit card or bitcoin payments. “If you receive a call about a past-due bill, don’t panic. Look for signs that it may not be legitimate, such as a request for a specific payment type or an imminent threat of disconnection.”
Meet Bruce Sackman. Bruce is a retired federal agent, licensed private investigator, and co-author of two investigative books. Bruce was also nearly the victim of a scam. If it could almost happen to him, it can happen to anyone. Here’s his story.
For more information on scams and how stay vigilant, please visit www.psegliny.com/scam
This thought comes crashing into my head as I pull my car into the field parking lot at my daughter’s school.
As a working father with two young children, I’ve noticed my memory isn’t what it used to be — or maybe I just have too many things to remember. What time does the game start? Is it even at this field? Was I supposed to bring water for the team this week? Do I have cash on me? Did I even pay my bills yet? Did I pay my electric bill?
Fortunately, PSEG Long Island has launched a new mobile app for customers who have Apple or Android devices, so I can manage my account on the go. Before I make my way out of the car, I grab my phone, tap on the PSEG Long Island app and log into My Account. I can’t remember half the things about my daughter’s game, let alone more passwords, but thankfully the PSEG Long Island app lets me use facial ID for immediate access. Phew. Looks like I did pay my bill. Now I can focus my attention where it belongs: on my little girl, number 9, ready to go. As both teams hit the field, I am relaxed, knowing that I didn’t miss a thing.
Multitasking has become a way of life for many people just like me. We expect companies to offer multiple ways to do business with them that fits into our busy schedules, on our own time, in our own way, wherever we happen to be. The PSEG Long Island app is just one of many ways my company is leveraging technology to accommodate my chaotic life.
Its powerful features include:
Viewing and paying bills
Reporting an outage and getting updates
Contacting customer service
PSEG Long Island has developed a whole range of high-tech ways for me to make a payment, set up recurring payments and text reminders, view my energy use and report an outage. Whether I’m using the app, texting PSEG Long Island using the MyAlerts feature, or interacting with the company via social media, I can get things done without having to call and speak with an actual person.
Another recent PSEG Long Island innovation is the customer service chat feature at www.psegliny.com. It allows me to interact with a customer service representative who will personally resolve my issues or answer questions. Look for the “online chat” tab the next time you’re visiting the website.
Apps are incredible tools that can really help make life easier for us multitaskers. Even if you already use some of PSEG Long Island’s online features, I encourage you to download the new mobile app. You’ll always be one tap away from knowing if you’ve paid your utility bill — and that kind of peace of mind is a real game-changer.
You might not think that National Cut Your Energy Costs Day is the kind of occasion an electric company would celebrate, but at PSEG Long Island, we have a lot of good news to share about our customers lowering their bills.
Providing people with opportunities to save through energy efficiency is a key part of our company’s mission. And National Cut Your Energy Costs Day, Jan. 10, is a perfect time to announce that our business and residential customers have saved an estimated $280 million on their bills over the past six years by taking advantage of our energy efficiency programs.
We helped our customers achieve this by offering rebates on more-efficient lighting fixtures and lightbulbs, appliances, refrigeration, heating and cooling systems, other energy efficiency modifications.
These upgrades have saved an estimated 1.6 billion kilowatt hours of energy since Jan. 1, 2014. That savings is about more than cash. It’s about our environment. Every kilowatt hour we save helps reduce the burning of fossil fuels, cutting carbon emissions and helping provide a cleaner, greener Long Island.
The rebates continue: This year we are offering significant incentives for the most efficient air source heat pumps that can save customers even more.
Our energy efficiency programs extend beyond simple rebates. In the past six years, PSEG Long Island residential customers also completed 34,000 Home Energy Assessments to gain real insights about how to upgrade their homes and save money. Through our programs, residents recycled 24,000 old, energy-wasting appliances, sparing them from the landfill. To find out more about our energy assessment tools, visit: https://www.psegliny.com/saveenergyandmoney/homeefficiency/homeassessments.
Business customers also saved money in the past six years by completing 20,000 energy efficiency projects, which earned them a collective $161 million in rebates and incentives. The installed energy conservation measures are expected to save 633 million kilowatt hours in annual energy savings.
Want to celebrate National Cut Your Energy Costs Day in your own home? If you’re a PSEG Long Island customer, start by visiting https://www.psegliny.com/efficiency to discover what we have to offer. Here are a few more simple energy-saving tips you can try today:
A single LED bulb will save a household approximately $230 over the lifetime of each bulb. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for 15% of home electric use. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures will save energy and money.
Items plugged into outlets can waste electricity just by being plugged in, even when they’re turned off. This is sometimes referred to as “phantom power.” A simple way to eliminate this avoidable usage is to unplug electronic devices when they’re not in use or use an energy efficient power strip.
Using timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting to automatically turn lights on and off is another way to save energy.
The use of a smart thermostat can save you money on both heating and air conditioning costs by automatically adjusting temperatures in accordance with your schedule.
You might wonder why Diversity and Inclusion are part of
PSEG Long Island’s core commitments, and it’s worth asking the question. How
much do those values really have to do with supplying electricity to Long
Island and the Rockaways?
The answer is: A lot, actually. As the executive sponsor of
PSEG Long Island’s Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, I see ample evidence
that promoting and maintaining a diverse, inclusive workforce is essential to
the success of any business in the 21st century.
We should start by discarding the assumption that keeping
the lights on is all an electric utility does. Things have changed since Thomas
Edison and George Westinghouse were duking it out over direct current and
alternating current.
Yes, “business success” means providing best-in-class
reliability, but providing outstanding customer service is more important than
ever. New programs need to reach underserved communities. High-tech
applications have to be designed and launched to give customers the power to do
business with the company with just a few taps on their smartphones. To
accomplish all this, we need the best talent—and the best talent is diverse.
Customers themselves are also changing, becoming more
diverse, speaking more languages, and expecting more from every company with
which they do business.
Nothing stays the same. Everything changes. And any company
that does not embrace a diverse, inclusive workforce will be left behind. We
embrace diversity and inclusion so that we can have the right people to help us
evolve and flourish—and so that everyone feels welcome, appreciated and ready
to do their best work.
Demographically, both our customers and jobseekers are
becoming more diverse, and every company needs to be able to properly interact
with them in order to remain competitive. Here are just a few demographic
traits that contribute to diversity:
Age: According to a United Nations study, 2 billion of the world’s population will be older than 60 by 2050.
Gender: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women comprised 47% of the total labor force. That’s a big difference from even 20 years prior.
Multiple cultural identities: In 2000, the Census allowed people to select more than one race for the first time. We are now seeing nearly 7 million Americans who identify with two or more races.
For all of these reasons and more, PSEG Long Island is proud
to have a robust Diversity & Inclusion initiative in place. We have more
than a dozen Employee Business Resource Groups to bring people together to discuss
issues important to them and to celebrate culture. We have a Diversity &
Inclusion Council made up of employees from all levels and backgrounds who are
finding ways to continue to transform our workplace culture and chart the path
to future business success.
The trends are unmistakable: Customers in the 21st
century expect more. PSEG Long Island, like any business, needs a diverse
workforce with top talent to understand and meet those expectations. I am proud
to be guiding PSEG Long Island’s efforts, and I look forward in the future to
sharing some of our strategies to recruit and retain the diverse talent we need
as we continue to transform the experience of our electric customers.
– John O’Connell, Vice President – Transmission & Distribution
Nobody who was on the East Coast on Oct. 29,
2012, will ever forget the devastation Superstorm Sandy inflicted across the
area. On Long Island and in the Rockaways, the massive storm surge and heavy,
sustained winds did unprecedented damage to the electric system.
When PSEG Long Island first began serving the
1.1 million customers in this service area on Jan. 1, 2014, we knew we had a
mandate to improve the strength and resilience of the grid, and transform the
way that customers communicate with their electric company.
On the seventh anniversary of Superstorm
Sandy, I want to tell you a little bit about how PSEG Long Island has been
living up to that mandate with significant upgrades to infrastructure and
communications.
Our employees have been hard at work for
almost six years. Each week, approximately 4 miles of the electric system is
hardened against storms, 44 miles of trees are trimmed and 120 old poles are
replaced.
We took the lessons learned from Sandy and
launched several programs to strengthen the grid and improve system
reliability. The largest of these has been a storm-hardening project funded
through $729 million in funding from FEMA. More than 320 distribution circuits
are being upgraded or completed and more than 938 circuit miles have been storm
hardened. Crews improving these circuits have:
Replaced 24,815 poles with new poles capable of withstanding winds up to 135 mph—which is in the lower range of a category 4 hurricane.
Used shorter cross arms on poles to help deflect falling limbs, instead of cradling them.
Restrung 2,382 miles of thicker insulated wires to lessen the likelihood a branch will cause an electric problem if it touches the electric wires.
Installed 887 automatic switching units to minimize the number of customers that are affected when equipment fails. The units reroute power around the failed equipment, isolating the immediate area where the damage occurred, bringing the lights back on for the surrounding customers.
During storms in 2019, these circuits
experienced 42% fewer outages than unimproved circuits thanks to PSEG Long
Island’s storm-hardening efforts.
Upgrading equipment is just one way PSEG Long
Island has improved the electric system. To further protect against storm
damage, arborists from PSEG Long Island’s Tree Trimming program now trim the
entire system on a four-year cycle, instead of the previous five-year cycle.
They work throughout the year to identify and trim tree limbs in rights of way
and along easements that could potentially cause outages during or after a
storm.
We have already completed one full trim of the
electric system and are about halfway through the second trim. In 2018 alone, we
trimmed hazardous tree limbs along 3,000 miles of overhead lines, reducing
vegetation-related outages on those circuits by 45%. We removed more than
11,000 hazardous trees and/or large limbs in accordance with the industry best
practice clearance standard. In addition, a new vine mitigation program
identified, cut and treated more than 3,000 vine locations.
Superstorm Sandy also revealed the crucial
importance of communicating with customers during major weather events. PSEG
Long Island has significantly enhanced communications with stakeholders at
every level. Communications include:
A more responsive social media presence that allows customers to report outages
Direct communication with customers via email, automated phone calls and texts
Scheduled media updates
Coordination calls and dedicated liaisons for the many municipalities within the service area.
In 2018, we launched a new website with a
modern, completely mobile design that’s more useful and easier to navigate. Our
outage map was updated to include additional information, such as crew
location, cause and restoration of outages. A new, interactive
reliability layer was added to the map, detailing the improvement projects in
progress throughout the service area. In addition, our customers can now manage
accounts, pay bills and report an outage via the Amazon Alexa skill.
The anniversary of Superstorm Sandy will
always be a reminder of how severe weather can get. With each passing year, I
know PSEG Long Island will be able to report even more improvements that will
make Long Island and the Rockaways stronger, safer and better able to recover
from whatever Mother Nature dishes out.
Did you know that every week, PSEG Long Island replaces 120 utility poles with newer, stronger poles that can withstand more extreme weather?
Dan Eichhorn, our president and COO, recently sat down with Len Berman, cohost of the Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning On WOR 710AM and host of iHeartRadio’s CEO Unplugged, to share some deep knowledge about PSEG Long Island’s mission, the work we’ve been doing to harden our electrical system, and our vision for the future of Long Island and the Rockaways.
– Paul Napoli, Vice President-Power Markets, PSEG Long Island
Providing greener energy has been part of PSEG Long Island’s
mission since we started in 2014, and it’s been part of PSEG’s overall mission
for even longer. Now that New York’s Legislature has passed one of the most
ambitious clean energy standards in the country, that commitment is more
important than ever.
Our company has been hard at work charting a path to a clean
energy future for Long Island and the Rockaways. We were already on track to
meet New York State’s goals through 2025, and we look forward to playing a
strong role in meeting the new standards set by the newly signed Climate
Leadership and Community Protection Act.
This legislation, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed on June 20,
sets a new statewide milestone of 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 and 100
percent by 2040. Its other requirements include:
9,000 MW of capacity from offshore wind by 2035
6,000 MW of capacity from solar by 2025
1,500 MW of energy storage capacity by 2023
increasing to 3,000 MW of energy storage capacity by 2030
PSEG Long Island is already working with the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority to meet our share of these ambitious
goals. We are also planning the transmission and substation infrastructure
improvements necessary to carry power from these proposed offshore wind
developments.
So where are we today? PSEG Long Island is already committed
to supporting 300MW of utility-scale renewable energy projects. Of these, 36
facilities are already operational, including solar farms and two utility-scale
batteries that are the largest in New York State. Another 30 clean energy
projects are slated to come online this year, including more largescale solar.
We will also be purchasing power from the 130MW offshore
wind project that will soon be built 35 miles east of Montauk, NY. When this
wind farm becomes operational at the end of 2022, it will be the largest in the
country to date.
Now, let’s look at how we plan to keep achieving our clean
energy targets. First, we think that offshore wind offers the greatest
opportunity to give our customers a cost-effective share of the coming clean
energy boom. We worked closely with NYSERDA as the agency developed its request
for proposals to construct another 880MW of offshore wind to the south of Long
Island. We are pleased to participate in the renewable energy credit pool
associated with that proposed project.
To prepare for the increased requirements for energy
storage, PSEG Long Island is actively looking at sites for utility-scale
batteries. In fact, we already have 10MW of batteries installed and working on
the east end of Long Island. We would expect that Long Island would be responsible
for about 13 percent of that proposed 3,000MW target, so we are also looking at
supporting other emerging energy storage options.
PSEG Long Island is proud to help clean energy flourish.
Though we do not own any of the assets being built, we understand the need and
we know our customers have a clear desire to reduce their carbon footprint. While
the future of energy is ever-changing, we will continue to gaze out at the
horizon and make the decisions that provide the cleanest power at the best
possible value.
– Pennie Vakkas, paralegal, Law Department, PSEG Long Island
When people
help others, it’s satisfying to know that you have made a positive difference
for someone else. Volunteering is important to me because it gives me a
sense of community and giving back to that community is extremely important.
Since joining PSEG Long Island five
years ago, I’ve been a paralegal in the law department. A few years later, I
discovered a local organization called L.I. Against Domestic Violence, which provides a range of services that help over
14,000 Long Island adults and children each year to escape from abusive
relationships and build new lives. Domestic violence is more common than most
people think and I’ve personally known people who have had to deal with it,
which made this organization hit close to home, lighting a fire in me to help.
I’ve been volunteering with L.I. Against Domestic Violence for two years, sitting on the planning committee, as well as charged with planning their Paws for a Cause event, which is held annually at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bayshore, New York.
According to Safe Place
for Pets, up to 65% of domestic
violence victims are unable to escape their abusive partners because they are
concerned about what will happen to their pets when they leave. This why I just love the Paws for a Cause
event, which is a dog fashion show where all proceeds go to support domestic
violence victims.
This event takes a year’s worth of
planning with lots of meetings, organizing, advertising and securing
sponsorships. This year, I was in charge with securing a DJ from 106.1 BLI, a
local classic rock station in Long Island, a photographer, as well as securing
guest judges, event sponsorship and social media marketing.
Our PSEG community did not disappoint
and immediately raised their hands to help support the cause. Daniel Eichhorn, president
and COO of PSEG Long Island, along with Suzanne Brienza, director of customer experience
and utility marketing of PSEG Long Island, happily jumped in as guest judges,
and PSEG signed on as a sponsor for the event, making my job extremely easy.
Additionally, PSEG’s employee business resource groups (EBRG) helped secure
more PSEG Long Island volunteers for the event, as well as provide branded gift
donations to be raffled off.
I’m proud to say that this year’s Paws
for a Cause event raised $17,000 and this donation for domestic violence will
help adults, children and pets alike get the support and courage they need to
leave abusive situations.
PSEG’s Power of One, which honors the volunteer efforts in our organization and in our communities, is enriching and motivating, and I encourage everyone to get out there and volunteer! I found my home with L.I. Against Domestic Violence and, by giving back, you can find your home too. #PowerofOnePSEGLI #PSEGPowerOfOne
As a business manager for IBEW 1049, I have the honor of representing the men and women on the front lines making sure people have power on blue sky days and during storms. I’m a former lineman myself, and know how hard linemen train and work and make personal sacrifices to do their jobs. When the public is asked to stay home during and after a storm, linemen and linewomen report to work, working 16-hour shifts, around the clock, until every last customer is restored.
Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day and I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to thank the men and women dedicated to keeping electricity flowing for their customers every day, in all types of weather conditions.
Our relationship with PSEG Long Island has never been stronger. IBEW 1049 electric workers are proud of the vital role they play in ensuring that customers on Long Island and in the Rockaways have the best-in-class service that they expect and deserve. Behind the scenes, around the clock and 365 days a year, linemen are always ready and available.
We were challenged during the four nor’easters that struck in March. But we did what we do: restore power to customers as safely and quickly as possible. Heeding the call for help from neighboring utilities is a great feeling too. Some of our linemen recently had the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico to put the lights back on for people in dire circumstances — helping them take a first step toward rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Maria.
Being a lineman is a challenging profession not only for the men and women doing the work, but for their families at home, sometimes celebrating birthdays and holidays without them. It can be tough, but it is gratifying work. The comradery amongst a crew is incredible and being the one to interact with customers and receive the thanks when we turn their power back on, there’s nothing like it.
– Ron Bauer, Business Manager & Financial Secretary – IBEW 1049
November 15 is National Utility Scam Awareness Day, and we’re proud to join forces with more than 100 gas, electric and water companies across the country and Canada to combat scams and scammers.
Today and every day, we want to remind customers to stay alert and pay close attention when dealing with any person or interface claiming to be, or be associated, with PSEG Long Island to avoid falling victim to a scam.
Remember and share these tell-tale signs of utility scams, and know what to do if you suspect you’ve been targeted by a scammer, to keep yourself, friends and family safe.
Knowing the signs:
Scammers claiming to be from PSEG Long Island will often call or email a customer with a warning that service is going to be shut off due to delinquent bills. To rectify this, scammers them tell customers to purchase a Green Dot Money Pak pre-paid debit card or arrange for a transfer via MoneyGram. We’ll never ask our customers to take either of these actions, as we don’t accept payments by pre-paid debit cards or through MoneyGram or similar transfers.
Instead, we offer a variety of payment options to our customers, including through MyAccount, text, phone, direct pay, by mail, and others. Plus, our customers scheduled for disconnection due to nonpayment receive a written notice on their bill at least 15 days in advance.
We also ask customers to be wary of the names on their caller ID. Some scammers have discovered a way to spoof caller ID systems to display “PSEG Long Island,” when in fact the call is coming from an illegitimate service. Not sure if the call is a scam? Any customer who has doubts about the legitimacy of a call from PSEG Long Island — especially one in which payment is requested — should call us directly at 1-800-490-0025.
How scammers get your money:
To actually get the money after demanding a payment in full via a pre-paid debit card, scammers suggest a specific store near near the customer’s home to purchase said card. Scammers then instruct the customer to pay cash in order to put the money on the card, and then provide the number on the card. Once the customer provides the card number, the scammer will receive the funds.
When scammers demand payments via MoneyGram, they’ll ask customers to provide money from a bank account, credit card or debit card by going online, or to a specified location. The funds go into a fraudulent bank account, available for the receiver to pick up in cash.
What you can do:
Be alert, and look for the signs listed above. Never arrange payment or divulge account or personal information, including Social Security Numbers or debit or credit card information over the phone unless you are certain you are speaking to a PSEG Long Island representative.
Again, if you’re not sure whether a call is legitimate, hang up and call your local police department to report the activity, or PSEG Long Island at 1-800-490-0025.
To actually get the money after demanding a payment in full via a pre-paid debit card, scammers suggest a specific store near near the customer’s home to purchase said card. Scammers then instruct the customer to pay cash in order to put the money on the card, and then provide the number on the card. Once the customer provides the card number, the scammer will receive the funds.