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Power Restoration Process
Watch this video for a lineman’s perspective on restoring a power outage.
Watch our video below that outlines our plan of action for restoring power after a major power outage occurs.
Report Power Outages
Calling (888) 928-2232 will put ACEC members in touch with our automated power outage reporting system. The system helps you experience fewer busy signals and provides important outage information.
When calling to report an outage after the office is closed, you will reach the Cooperative Response Center, Inc. (CRC), a 24-hour customer contact center and central station based out of Austin, MN with regional centers in Dunlap, TN and Abilene, TX that works as an extension of ACEC. Using a combination of telephone and computer technology, CRC will identify your account, pinpoint your outage and dispatch the line crew. To report an outage after hours, call (888) 928-2232. You will hear, “Thank you for calling Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative.” An available customer service representative will ask you basic information to verify and help locate your account to proceed with assisting your after-hours needs. It is important to be able to provide current and accurate information to the customer service representative so that your outage can be reported. Please remember to have the name on your account, account identifier such as account number or service address, and the phone number on your account. Once you have received confirmation that your call is complete, it will be turned over to a dispatch team that will contact a line crew immediately.
During peak storms, you may be forwarded to an automated system where you will hear a series of recordings directing you to press your phone keypad to complete your outage call. Carefully listen to the prompts and select the appropriate answer related to your outage. The system will then confirm your outage has been successfully reported.
Members can also report power outages through their SmartHub account. SmartHub will walk you through the process of reporting your outage. Make sure you are also signed up to receive outage notifications through your SmartHub account too! To learn more about SmartHub, click here.
Keep Your information current
ACEC needs your help to keep our member database up-to-date. Having current information is invaluable when reporting a power outage or other emergency. With current telephone numbers (including cell phones) entered into our power outage reporting system, we can efficiently respond to the trouble spot. It also ensures we can contact you in an emergency.
Give us a call at 800-831-8629 or e-mail us at acec@acecwi.com to update your contact information. We respect the privacy of our members; our database is confidential and is only used for official cooperative business.
Outages
We know you rely on us to restore your power after an outage. We work hard to deliver safe, reliable electricity to all members. So, the big question is; what causes power outages? Many outages are caused by weather, animals, and nature but there are other ways outages occur. The public may also cause an outage (car-pole accident, digging and hitting an underground line, etc.) And every occasionally, equipment may fail.
What to do during an outage
- Check your breakers and fuses to ensure the problem is not within your system.
- Check with your neighbors to see if their power is off.
- Report the outage immediately if you believe trouble is on ACEC’s lines. Call 888-928-2232 to report outages and down lines 24/7.
SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS
Preventive maintenance is the best tool against outages, but there are outages caused by acts of nature, equipment failure and even vehicular accidents that are beyond the control of the Cooperative.
We cannot guarantee continuous and uninterrupted electric service and will not be liable for loss or damage to any member’s equipment caused by any failure to supply electricity or by any interruption or reversal of the supply of electricity if due to any cause beyond the reasonable control of the Cooperative. These causes include, but are not limited to acts of nature, equipment failure, and vehicular accidents. Members should immediately notify the Cooperative of any defect in service or of any trouble or irregularity in the electric supply.
Are you protected?
Many losses occur due to acts of nature or equipment failure beyond the control of the Cooperative. Individual members must provide their own protection against these losses.
SAFETY FIRST! NEVER GO NEAR DOWNED POWER LINES.
It may not look like anything is happening, but the lines may still be energized and are very dangerous. If you come across downed power lines, contact us as soon as possible.
Although you may not see any damage on your property or street, there may be damage to the equipment that brings the electricity to your neighborhood. If you do see damage, please report it immediately.
Have an emergency kit ready. Our crews work as quickly and safely as they can to restore power, but it may take time to assess the full extent of the damage to our system and make the necessary repairs to restore power to your home. This kit includes items to get you by for a couple of days should an emergency strike.
Items to include in your emergency kit:
- Emergency phone numbers (be sure to have our outage number!)
- Flashlights
- Water and nonperishable foods
- Blankets
- First-aid kit
- Common tools
- Personal hygiene products
- Clothes
- Items for your pets
What to do if you encounter a downed power line
Stay in the car and tell others to do the same. If you come upon an accident involving power lines, do not approach the accident scene. If you see someone approaching, warn them to stay away. Call 911 to notify emergency personnel and utility services. Do not leave your vehicle until a utility professional has told you it is safe to do so.
The safest place to be is almost always inside the car. The only circ*mstance when you should exit the vehicle is if it is on fire—and those instances are rare. If you must exit the vehicle, jump clear of it with your feet together and without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time. Continue to “bunny hop” with your feet together to safety. Doing this will ensure that you are at only one point of contact and will not have different strengths of electric current running from one foot to another, which can be deadly.
