Handling A Power Outage

When storms move through the state many people are often left without electric service. Crews from South River EMC work round the clock to restore electric service to its members as quickly as possible. Transmission lines and substations are given top priority for repair since this will restore power to hundreds or thousand of people. Next Primary Distribution Feeders are restored starting with three phase lines, to second phase lines and lastly individual service drops.

When your electricity goes out, look outside and see if your neighbors are also in the dark. If they’re not, check your fuse box or circuit breaker to see if you can locate the problem. When you call South River EMC to report an outage, please have your account number handy.

Although crews are working to restore electricity, it could be a day or so before all repairs can be made. Once the electricity is restored, circuits can be overloaded if members do not take measures to prevent this occurrence. Here are some steps to take to avoid further outages caused by overloaded circuits:

Turn off every inside light except one.
Turn down your thermostat to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the outage lasts more than one hour, turn off your electric water heater.
Make sure our stove and oven are turned off.
Turn off all unnecessary appliances including your heating and cooling system.
Avoid opening the freezer door. A full, freestanding freezer will keep food at freezing temperatures about two days; a half-full freezer about one day. For more information about food safety during and after a power outage, call the county office of the N. C. Cooperative Extension Service, or dial the USDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.
If you see a downed power line, STAY AWAY!! And call your electric company at once.
Leave your porch light on so utility workers will know when your power has been restored.
When power comes back on, slowly switch your appliances and lights back on and gradually return your thermostat to its normal setting.