Why aren't candles recommended for emergency lighting?
Because of the risk of fire. If you do use candles, make sure you use proper candle holders, never leave them unattended and keep them away from combustible materials. Always have a suitable fire extinguisher in your home.
How can I tell the difference between telephone, cable and electrical lines? How can I tell if standing water is electrified? How can I tell if a fallen line still has electricity in it?
You should consider all cables and wires to be energized whether they are electrical, cable or telephone. If a line is in the water, there is even more reason to be cautious and consider it and the water energized. Please keep children away from all flooded areas and areas with lots of debris because the water or storm debris could be hiding an energized line.
Is it safe for me to walk through my neighbourhood right after the storm passes to determine the severity of the storm?
With caution. Stay away from downed lines, flooding and debris. Don't walk in standing water and don't venture out in the dark because you won't be able to see a power line that could still be energized and dangerous.
How do you handle fallen trees near power lines?
One of our top priorities is removing trees and debris that have damaged electrical equipment and are preventing power service from being restored.
You shouldn’t try to remove or trim branches near a power line. If a tree or tree limbs have fallen on a power line or pulled it down, keep a safe distance from the line or the tree.
Safety should always come first when you are pruning trees. Look up to ensure that you are not working near a power line. Be especially careful when working with a ladder, scaffolding, pole or tree in your yard. Do not do any trimming near a power line.
Do you pay for food that spoils in a power outage?
Many things outside of our control like storms and car accidents can affect the electrical system. That's why we don't pay for food that might spoil due to electric service interruptions.
Do you pay for damage to appliances, electronic equipment or other personal property caused by a power loss or during power restoration?
Because power outages are often caused by things that are beyond our control, like storms, we aren’t able to pay for damage. Following a storm, it's possible that service restored in one spot could be temporarily impacted by work elsewhere, including an accident or emergency condition that requires us to temporarily turn power off at the request of police or fire. We ask you to consider precautions, like unplugging, turning off or limiting use of electronically-sensitive and/or non-essential appliances.