 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 by clicking here.)
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. (Link for Surge Guard in the Section Index above.)
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.
Click here to request more information online or call our Customer Service department at 635-4621 or toll-free in SC at 1-800-628-0336.
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