Before outages occur, charge all cell phones. If you have a landline phone, make sure that it’s hard-wired and does not rely on electricity.
Fill a bathtub with water before you lose service so the water can be used to flush toilets when the power is out. PREVENT UNSUPERVISED BATHROOM ACCESS TO CHILDREN.
If power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances except one light so you’ll know when service returns. Then, turn equipment back on slowly.
If you own a generator, test it.
If you use a portable generator, read and follow the owner’s manual before starting it. Never operate a generator inside any structure or near a structure. Use a transfer switch to ensure electricity is not accidentally fed onto a line where line crews must work.
Here some items you should have on hand for power outages.
- Battery powered flashlight(s)
- Portable radio
- Extra batteries
- Battery powered alarm clock
- Dry and warm clothing
- Sleeping bags and/or blankets
- Bottled water
- Foods which can be consumed with little to no preparation
- A phone that does not need electricity to work
Stay Safe
The best place to be during a storm is inside your home. Resist the urge to go outside or drive around to see the damage.
Treat any downed line as if it is live. Keep away from downed power lines and debris that is resting on a power line. Report these types of emergencies to BIPCO.
When You Lose Power
When the power goes out, BICPO’s smart meters will report the outage automatically. However, it is always best to report it.
If you experience a brown out condition or only have power in half of the house, turn off all power to the home by shutting off your main breaker. This is extremely important!
Our goal is to restore power quickly and safely. There are times though when the weather conditions are too severe to send our staff out in. We will restore power based on the size of the outage, the duration of the outages and the ease of restoration. Our end goal in managing power restoration is to minimize the outage duration to as many people as possible.
Keeping Food During an Outage
Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. For detailed instructions on keeping food safe during outages, click here to visit the Food Safety.Gov website.
