What to Do When the Lights Go Out?
When the lights go out, here are a few things that you can check:
- Check to see if a fuse has been blown or a breaker tripped
- Check the main breaker (located just below your meter) and reset it 如果有必要的话
- Check with your neighbors to see whether they are also without power
- If you are unable to locate a problem, you can call our office at (406) 961-3001
How To Report An Outage
- To report an outage, give us a call at (406) 961-3001
- We will always have someone on call, even after business hours
- Follow the prompts on the phone to report your outage
- You can also report an outage through your mobile phone 使用你的 SmartHub 账户
When you call, give us:
- 你的 name, location, and phone number
- If you know what caused the outage, please describe it (a car hit a pole, a tree limb fell on the line, 等.)
- This can save us a great deal of time
If you get a busy signal, please keep trying.
- This indicates that there are multiple outages and a lot of members calling in
- Please be patient – we will answer the phones as fast as we can
- Once you’ve called us, please do not call again – others may also be trying to reach us
Outage Updates
- You can also see outage updates on our Facebook Page
- Rest assured that we will work around the clock, 如果有必要的话, to restore your service as safely and as quickly as possible
Scheduled Outages
Occasionally the Cooperative will need to schedule a planned outage.
- Ravalli Electric Cooperative (REC) will schedule a planned outage in order to do maintenance or repair work on the lines
- REC schedules maintenance outages so they can be completed as safely and cost-effectively as possible while minimizing inconvenience to our customers
- We will make every effort to notify you by phone if time permits, so make sure we have your current contact information – you can also make changes in SmartHub
While the Electricity is Off
食物
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed
- 食物 can keep for at least 24小时
- If an outage should ever last longer than that, make arrangements to store your food at another location
- You can purchase some “dry ice” and put that in your freezer to keep your frozen foods longer
Medical Equipment
- If someone in your home is dependent on life-support equipment, don’t wait until an outage to notify us
- 现在就打电话给我们!! (406) 961-3001
- We will give these residences priority when services are reconnected
- The Cooperative suggests that you have a standby generator available as a precautionary measure
眨眼
Miles of lines run through wooded areas, as most of our members live in the rural areas of each district.
- 闪烁的 lights are a result of momentary outages that occur when some type of disturbance exists on the line
- These very short outages called “眨眼” have become more common because of today’s electrical safety equipment
- If a branch falls on a power line, power is automatically cut to that line until the branch falls clear – then, a few moments later, power is restored
- 你的 oven clock with its blinking “12:00” time may be the only hint that there was a mini-outage
What Causes 眨眼?
眨眼 could be a result of:
- A lightning strike
- An automobile hitting a pole
- An animal or tree branch coming into contact with an energized power line
眨眼 are Unavoidable
- We do everything we can (with tree trimming, 等.) to reduce the number of blinks
- We recommend you gradually replace your clocks and DVD players with newer models containing a battery backup
- If you have a home office or conduct business on your computer, you may want to purchase a universal power station (UPS)
- The UPS will help prevent you from losing important files in the event your residence experiences a short outage