If
Your Power Goes Out
Check your home's breaker
panel and any outdoor disconnects to make sure the outage isn't
due to a tripped breaker.
Call your neighbors to see
if their power is off. This will help you determine if the
problem exists in your home or on our lines. If you determine
the problem is outside your home, call Lincoln Electric
Cooperative's outage reporting number at 406-889-3301 or
1-800-442-2994.
Our dispatchers are on call,
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Call anytime your power is out. Don't assume that others
have reported the outage. Once you make a report, try not to
call Lincoln Electric Cooperative again unless an emergency
arises. Crews will be dispatched immediately.
What
To Do When The Lights Go Out
- Leave your
porch light switched on, as well as a light inside your
home, so you and our repair crews will know when service has
been restored.
- Turn down your
thermostat and turn off the circuit breaker for your water
heater. This will help reduce initial demand for electricity
when power is restored. If that demand is too great, the
system will overload and cause the power to go off again.
- Turn off and
unplug other electrical equipment, including VCRs,
computers, television sets, stereos and microwave ovens. It
will protect your equipment in case there is a change in
voltage as the power comes back on. It's also a good idea to
use a surge suppresser to protect your valuable electrical
equipment and appliances.
- Do not turn
equipment on again until lights have returned to their
normal brightness.
- Open the
refrigerator door as seldom as possible so cold air stays
inside until the power comes back on. Remember, pork,
poultry, fish and ground meats spoil quickly at room
temperatures above 40 degrees. Other foods that spoil
quickly include custards, creamed foods or any food
containing mayonnaise.
- Food will stay
frozen for about two days in a full freezer, or about one
day in a freezer less than half full. It helps to cover
freezers with blankets and quilts. Food may be refrozen if
it still contains some ice crystals. If in doubt, throw it
out. Dry ice may be added to the freezer to help keep food
frozen. Wear gloves and place it on top of cardboard or
newspaper rather than directly on food packages.
- Make sure you
have one or more working flashlights at hand with extra
batteries. Use caution if you light candles.
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