Mays Landing, N.J. - Resetting all the clocks and other digital equipment can be annoying, but damaged and ruined electronic equipment such as your computer with all your financial records stored on the hard drive can be devastating.

Lightning strikes, power dips and momentary outages can ruin sensitive electronic equipment.

Spectacular lightning shows are common across southern New Jersey during the hot, humid days of August. Unfortunately, that same lightning can send a surge along any conductive line, including your home's electric wiring, TV cable and telephone or computer lines, and damage or destroy anything in its path.

Atlantic City Electric works hard year-round to maintain reliability, but can't guarantee that your electricity will not be affected by lightning or by any number of things such as a vehicle accident or an animal entangled in the wires. You can, however, help protect your important electronic equipment with a good surge protector.

These devices are relatively inexpensive in comparison to the major appliance and can be purchased at most hardware or home improvement stores. Simply plug in your appliance and plug the protector into a wall outlet. Even more protection can be obtained from a whole house surge protector installed at your main circuit panel, which should only be done by a licensed electrician.

It's also a good idea to plug computers and other sensitive electronic equipment into a separate grounded circuit to isolate them from fluctuations caused when a major appliance starts, such as a room air conditioner or refrigerator.

When lightning strikes or the power goes off even for a few seconds, you can lose important computer data. So if you are running a business or have important documents on your computer, you may want to invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply unit (UPS). In addition to surge protection, UPS units have a battery back up that allows your records to be saved if the power goes out unexpectedly.

For more information on outages, safety, or energy conservation, visit www.atlanticcityelectric.com.

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Atlantic City Electric, a public utility owned by Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides safe, reliable and affordable regulated electric delivery services to more than 500,000 customers in southern New Jersey.