Reporting Power Outages
When you experience a power outage you want your service restored as quickly as possible. So do we. To help us restore service as quickly and efficiently as possible it’s important that you notify us.
Report a Power Outage
If you need to report a power outage, please use one of the following options.
While social media is an excellent way to keep up with outages, we encourage members not to use Facebook or Twitter to report an outage. Our social media channels are not tied into our outage management system.
To report an outage by text, the number you text from must be the one associated with your account. Message and data rates may apply. Learn more under “Report the outage” below.
Before You Report
Before calling us to report a power outage, please help us determine if the service problem exists within your home’s electrical system or on our system. This could help get your power back on more quickly. Check to see if your neighbors are without electricity. If they also are without service, there’s a good chance the problem is on our system.
If your neighbor has power and you don’t and your homes are served by the same power line, the problem may be within your home’s electrical system.
- Try resetting your home’s main breaker (outside by your meter). Even if it doesn’t look tripped, flip the switch all the way off and back on.
- Check your breaker panel (often in the garage) for tripped breakers and reset them if necessary.
- If you are experiencing flickering or blinking lights, verify the proper bulbs are installed. Flickering lights can result when a dimmer switch is not accompanied by the recommended dimmable bulbs.
If this doesn’t work, please report the outage.
By phone
When calling 888-883-3379 to report an outage, you’ll need your PEC account number or the phone number associated with your PEC account. Sometimes you may also be asked for the following information to help us pinpoint the cause quickly and get crews dispatched efficiently:
- Your full name and address, along with your subdivision or community name.
- The approximate time service was interrupted.
- Whether your neighbors have electricity.
- Other pertinent information, such as downed electric lines or loud noises that occurred before or after the service disruption.
By text
You can now text PEC to report your outage by simply texting the word “outage” to 25022. To utilize this feature, the number you text from must be associated with your account or meter and saved within your PEC account profile. If you have more than one account or meter associated with the same contact number, you will still need to report outages via SmartHub or by calling 888-883-3379. If you have previously opted out of texts from PEC, are unsure if you can receive them, or if you need help setting up this new feature on your phone, please call a Member Relations agent at 888-554-4732 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also add your mobile number in SmartHub in the My Profile section to sign up for text alerts.
High-Volume Call Answering System
Our high-volume automated call answering system helps relay problems to our staff quickly and effectively and tracks restoration efforts, even during major interruptions. When you call us at 888-883-3379 to report an outage, the system pinpoints the problem based on your PEC account number or the telephone number you have on file with us. If your phone number has changed, please contact us.
What To Do Next
After you’ve reported the outage:
- Turn off all electrical appliances that were on when service was disrupted, leaving a lamp on so you’ll know when power is restored.
- Turn circuit breakers to major appliances (like your stove) to the “off” position.
- To help preserve food, leave the doors to your refrigerator and freezer closed.
- Once power is restored, avoid overloading by turning appliances back on in 15-minute intervals.