Report an Outage
Call or Text (800) 794-4423
Report by Calling
- Dial (800) 794-4423
- Press 1 to report an outage
- Press 1 to confirm your phone number
- Press 1 to confirm outage address
- Press 1 to give more details or hang up
Report by Texting
Text “OUT” to (800) 794-4423
Keywords
OUT
Report an Outage
STATUS
Receive information and updates on your outage
STOP/QUIT
Opt out of Union Power’s outage texting service.
In order to use both of these services, it is vital that you keep us informed of any changes to your telephone number. Update your account information on the Member Portal or contact our customer service team at (704) 289-3145.
Outdoor Lighting Repair
To report a light that is not working, please complete our Outdoor Light Repair Form.
View Outage Map
View a map of outages in our service territory:
Storm Ready
In the event of severe weather or events that can cause outages, Union Power is prepared. If there are outages, our objective is to restore power to as many members as safely and quickly as possible.
During severe weather or widespread outages, stay informed through our outage map, as well as our Facebook, X, and Instagram posts.
Restoring Power
Restoring power is a difficult job and must be done safely and strategically. See how we assess damage and restore power safely to the greatest number of members in the shortest amount of time possible.
What Are Blinks?
Blinking lights are a result of momentary outages that occur when some type of disturbance exists on the line. Electrical systems are susceptible to any of the following that can cause a fault or a short on a power line:
Lightning strikes
Animals and tree branches coming into contact with energized power lines
Automobiles striking poles
Because electrical systems are built to function safely and efficiently, a device called an “oil circuit recloser” (OCR) acts essentially as a breaker, functioning much like a breaker in the electrical panel in your home:
The OCR opens to stop the fault, and then quickly closes back in, resulting in a “blink” in power
If the disturbance on the line persists, the OCR will continue to operate or “trip” 2 more times and then remain open, resulting in a power outage
This is actually a safety mechanism, protecting the system, the electrical equipment hooked up to the line, and cutting off power to the affected section of the line in order to isolate the problem until it can be repaired. Otherwise, the fault (and the outage) would affect everyone on that particular substation feeder.
While “blinks” may be a temporary aggravation, they are actually indicators that our system is functioning properly. The next time you experience a “blink,” be assured that our system is operating properly, protecting electrical equipment, and ensuring that as few members as possible experience any resulting outage.