Kenneth (Kenny) Mercado Division Vice President of Distribution Electric Operations Turning on the Lights

Preparing Your Home Utilities

3 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?

4 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

5 Make other arrangements for emergency circumstances 1 st 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

6 Pre-storm safety tips Electric Utilities Unplug sensitive electrical appliances, such as your computer Turn off circuit breakers

7 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

8 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

9 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 –

10 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

11 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

12 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 before you dig

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