This Valentine's Day, Don't Get Carried Away - Edison International

NEWSMedia Contact: Caroline Aoyagi-Stom, (626) 302-2255This Valentine’s Day, Don’t Get Carried Away – Tie Your Metallic Balloons DownCustomers reminded that helium-filled metallic balloons can cause power outagesROSEMEAD, Calif., Jan. 29, 2013 — This Valentine’s Day, think of your loved ones with chocolates, flowersand maybe some jewelry. And if your gift of choice is a Mylar, or metallic balloon, make sure to tie it down.That’s because helium-filled metallic balloons, often given as gifts during this special day, can float intopower lines and cause outages that could last from a few minutes to hours at a time. Southern CaliforniaEdison (SCE) asks that customers keep the balloons inside or keep them tightly secured to a weight heavyenough to prevent them from drifting away.“Southern California Edison wants customers to enjoy their Valentine’s Day, but would like them to keep inmind that metallic balloons can easily float away into power lines causing short-circuits and outages,” saidBill Messner, SCE’s manager, Corporate Health and Safety. “We don’t want avoidable outages to ruin thisspecial day.”In the last several years, SCE has experienced close to 2,000 power outages caused by balloons. In 2012,there were 583 balloon-related outages, with a 110 percent increase in outages in February compared toJanuary. The number of outages in 2012 was the highest since 2007.SCE recommends some simple safety tips for handling metallic balloons:Keep metallic balloons indoors, and never release them outside.Helium-filled metallic balloons can drift and come in contact with high-voltage lines and cause poweroutages, so be sure to attach a weight heavy enough to prevent them from floating away.Never attach streamers to any balloon — latex or metallic.If you buy and fill your own balloons with helium, be sure to tie them securely to a weight heavyenough to prevent them from drifting away.Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon or any foreign object tangled in power lines. Instead, call SCE at800-611-1911 and report the problem.More information on metallic balloon safety can be found at www.sce.com/metallicballoons.Follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/SCE) and like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SCE).About Southern California EdisonAn Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest

electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.-###-