WYOMING COUNTY -- Freezing temperatures expected this weekend have changed plans to turn off electricity for more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Wyoming County.
In Wyoming County, customers of Penelec First Energy will lose power this month, but unseasonable temperatures have altered plans for exactly when that will happen.
Officials with the power company say 1,100 homes and businesses will lose power for about eight hours so crews can replace poles and wires and put more customers on the grid.
"They left a message on my phone, and they said they would be out for eight hours and I figured it won't affect my freezer or my refrigerator. They didn't say if they would give me a rebate on those eight hours," said Robert Keehn.
Keehn and many of his neighbors in Mehoopany will be affected. Plans were for power to be out this coming Saturday but, the power company decided it will be too cold for customers to be without electric heat.
The work has been moved to Saturday, March 18, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The Dandy Mini Mart in Mehoopany will stay open.
"Basically, we just had to call and schedule to get the generator down here because we've had power outages before just randomly, and they just bring a big trailer generator and we stay open and nothing really changes other than we run off a generator," said Erin Sauerstein.
The outage scheduled for March 18 will also affect customers in Washington Township, Forkston Township, and parts of Tunkhannock.
"The 18th won't bother me either, hopefully, a little warmer then, hopefully," said Keehn.
Penelec says it will call affected customers again to remind them of the change.