If Your Power Goes Off

If your power goes off, first check the main electrical panels to see if a fuse has blown or a breaker has tripped. If the problem is not in the main panels, check with neighbors to see if others in your area are affected. If the problem is not in your home, or if other neighbors are involved, call your local Warren RECC office. We are available to serve you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

REPORTING AN OUTAGE
When you report an outage, give us the name in which you receive service. We also need your Certificate Number and Map Number as listed on your electric bill. In order to keep our member files current, we will ask you for your address and telephone number. If you know the cause of the outage, please describe it (i.e., a limb is on the line, a pole has been hit by a car, loud pop from transformer, etc.). Your help may save a great deal of time in restoring service.

Whenever an outage affects a large number of members, we will activate our automated call handling system. This enables us to handle a large number of calls quickly and efficiently and prevents members from having to repeatedly call to reach our 24-hour emergency dispatch center. The system works for members with touch tone telephones. Users of rotary dial telephones will be prompted to leave a message.

Be assured that repairs will be made as quickly as possible; however, if your power is still off after it has been restored to other homes in your neighborhood, do not hesitate to call again.

DURING AN OUTAGE
While the electricity is off, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food should keep for up to 48 hours in a freezer if the door remains closed. If the outage persists, cover your refrigerator or freezer with a blanket, make arrangements to store food at another location or purchase dry ice.

Turn off all electrical appliances that were on when the power went off, especially heat pumps, air conditioners or electric heaters. You may want to leave a light on so you will know when power is restored.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR HEAT PUMPS IN WINTER
Turn the heat pump thermostat to "OFF" (not at the breaker). Once the power is restored, if it has been off for more than one hour, turn the thermostat to "EM HEAT" (Emergency Heat). Do this before turning the thermostat back to "HEAT" mode. After the heat pump has operated in the emergency mode for 24 hours, the system may be placed in the heating mode by turning the switch from "EM HEAT" to "HEAT" or "NORM." This procedure is recommended as a safety precaution to protect the compressor from operating cold and being damaged.

SAFETY FIRST
Stay away from downed power lines and broken utility poles. DO NOT attempt to remove trees or limbs from lines. Notify us IMMEDIATELY of downed lines or broken poles and prevent others from coming into contact with them. Even lines that look harmless can be very dangerous. Make sure your children understand the danger of downed power lines. While Warren RECC hopes you never have a power outage of any kind, the following information will help you and your family cope with an outage if it should occur.

KEEP A POWER OUTAGE KIT ON HAND

Flashlight with fresh batteries
Matches
Candles
Spare fuses
Portable radio with fresh batteries
Backup heat source (in winter)

WARNING
If you use a back-up generator to provide electricity for your home, farming operation or other business, you could injure or kill a utility worker who is working on the line if it is not installed properly. Contact Warren RECC for assistance in installing and operating back-up generators.

POWER RESTORATION
Power restoration procedures are very simple. First, we restore power to areas where the greatest numbers of families and businesses are affected. Below is the order in which Warren RECC restores power:

1. Substations
2. Main feeder lines (69,000 volts) in populated residential areas
3. Three-phase lines in the most populated areas
4. Three-phase lines in all other areas
5. Single-phase lines
6. Individual services and transformers are the last to be repaired