Power
outages occur despite the fact that FEC routinely replaces
underground cable and transformers, treats and inspects power poles,
upgrades line voltages to handle increased loads and maintains
right-of-ways. They're caused by storms, falling tree limbs, vehicle
accidents involving utility poles, equipment failure, squirrel activity
and other uncontrollable natural occurrences.
What do I do if my power goes out?
Call 1-800-499-7862.
(But first make sure our records for you are up-to-date.)
Don't
ever assume someone else has called, because your outage could be an
isolated situation. When you do call, be prepared to give the name or
telephone number under which your account is listed and what you observe
that might be causing the outage (a line down, a tree on a line, etc.)
and any other information that could lead to quicker restoration.
Power outage tips
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed to preserve the food.
- Turn off most of your lights, appliances and heating or air
conditioning system to reduce "cold load" startup.
- Assemble an emergency kit that includes flashlights, batteries,
medical supplies, a water supply, candles, matches, blankets or
sleeping bags and firefighting equipment.
- If anybody in your home relies on electrically-powered life
support equipment, consider getting a backup generator and if you
use a computer, consider getting a UPS (Uninterruptable Power
Supply) backup system.
Blinks
Brief
fluctuations in your power known as "blinks" are a sign that
FEC's electric distribution system is working properly to prevent longer
power outages.
The
system is designed to identify problems and momentarily interrupt power,
avoiding outages. Surge protection and battery backup equipment,
available from Fairfield, can help protect against blinks.
Restoring power
Often,
the downed trees and lines you see around your home aren't the only
reason for the outage. There may be other downed trees that must be
removed and main lines coming from the substation that must be repaired before
power can be restored to your home. Of course, after the main lines
are repaired, we give priority to restoring power to homes of members
with critical medical needs.
To
help us restore power as quickly as possible, please remember that the meter
base is the responsibility of the homeowner. If, for example, your
meter base is torn off during a storm, you should call a private
electrician to fix it. Once it has been repaired, then our personnel
can complete the process of power restoration.
