What to do in case of a rotational outage

If rotational outages are necessary, there are things customers can do to help avoid delays in getting power restored.

• Turn off all appliances, machinery and equipment in use when the power goes out, except for one light. When this light comes on, power has been restored. Turning off everything else will help protect your appliances against voltage fluctuations that may occur as a result of a circuit overload when power is restored.
• Once power has been restored, wait a few minutes and begin restoring home appliances and lighting in 10-minute intervals.
• Keep a telephone that does not depend on electricity.
• Keep a large block of ice in the freezer to maintain cold longer, and keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to retain cold air inside and avoid food spoilage.
• Don’t leave candles unattended and keep them away from furniture, draperies, and other flammable materials.
• Turn off electric ranges or space heaters (in winter) during a power outage. This will prevent the possibility of a fire if you are away from your home when power is restored.

These precautions will help prevent injuries that could occur if machinery and equipment were to suddenly restart. These precautions help circuits from overloading when power is restored. Such precautions will allow larger sections of power lines to be energized and facilitate a faster and less complicated load restoration.

How to prepare for a rotational outage

In an emergency you need to know how to protect your health and home if electricity is suddenly unavailable. Common sense and careful preparation will help you avoid problems and inconveniences.

It’s a good idea to put together an emergency kit including the following:

• Matches
• Candles
• A flashlight
• Extra blankets
• A battery-powered radio
• Batteries
• Bottled water
• Canned and dried foods
• A manual can opener
• A wind-up clock or battery-powered clock
• A telephone that does not depend on electricity