If the Lights Go Out
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If the Lights Go Out

Steps Your Cooperative Takes

When severe weather causes power outages, employees of Union Power Cooperative begin working immediately to restore service as quickly as possible. If the storm was a major one, and the damage and outages are extensive, we will call on our fellow cooperatives for assistance. Primary lines serving hundreds of customers are serviced first, followed by the secondary lines serving just a few customers. Medical facilities and individuals on life-support systems are given top priority. Click on the image below for more information on the steps we take to restore power.

Steps You Can Take

Make sure you are prepared for storms, no matter the season. Click here for a checklist of items that you will need at your fingertips, should the electricity go out during a storm.

Outages that occur in severe weather, or that last for an extended period of time, can place a heavy burden on the system at the moment power is restored. To prevent an overload on the system and possibly another outage, take these steps:

  1. Turn off every inside light except one.
  2. Turn down your thermostat.
  3. In cold weather, close windows and drapes to save heat. Pick one room on the warm side of the house (preferably one with a fireplace). Close the door to the rest of the house and use blankets to insulate your windows.
  4. If the outage lasts over 60 minutes, turn off your electric water heater.
  5. Make sure your kitchen range is off, both the surface and the oven. Never use it for heat.
  6. Turn off all unnecessary appliances.
  7. Avoid opening the freezer door. A full, freestanding freezer will keep food at freezing temperatures about 2 days, a half-full freezer about 1 day. For more information about food safety during and after a power outage, click here, call the county office of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, or the USDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.
  8. If you see a downed power line, STAY AWAY! And call Union Power at once!
  9. Leave your porch light on so Union Power workers will know when your power has been restored.
  10. When power comes back on, slowly switch your appliances and lights back on, and gradually return your thermostat to its normal setting.