Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. > Outage Center > Power Outage Tips

Power Outage Tips

How to prepare for an outage

Check your circuit breakers. If they’re OK, call us immediately. Central Electric crews are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. We take your need for electricity seriously.

Attention Life Support Customers

If you or someone in your home uses a life-support machine that relies directly on the power we provide, please contact Customer Service and make us aware of your requirements.

Additionally, because an unplanned outage is usually caused by an emergency situation, we urge you to have backup equipment available, and to test it regularly. Central Electric can make no guarantee as to the minimum length of an outage.

Outage Procedure Checklist

Place these guidelines on your bulletin board or by your telephone.

  • Call CEC if you have a power outage. If the lines are busy, please keep trying.
  • In the event of a downed power line, DO NOT attempt to move or touch it! Keep everyone away. Call CEC or 911 immediately.
  • DO NOT plug a portable home electric generator into a wall outlet. Our servicemen could risk a FATAL injury by the backfeed of electricity through your home’s electrical system.
  • If it appears the outage will be a long one, unplug your appliances or turn off the breaker at the circuit panel. Especially important are heat pumps, water heaters, freezers, furnace fans and refrigerators. After power is restored, turn them back on, individually, and spaced over 15 minute intervals.
  • If some of your lights appear to be dim when the power comes back on, call CEC.
  • Remember, unopened full freezers should remain at freezing temperature for up to 48 hours and half full freezers for 24 hours.

Power Outage Kit

Make sure your home is equipped with a power outage kit. The kit should include the following items:

  • A flashlight, an oil or battery powered lamp or lantern, and extra batteries.
  • Candles and matches. Use candles on a flat, stable, non-flammable surface.
  • A battery powered radio.
  • Easily accessible emergency phone numbers for your utility, doctor, fire and police.
  • A cell phone, or a telephone connected directly to the phone jack. Cordless phones and phones with answering machines rely on electricity to operate.
  • A first-aid kit and prescription medications. If the outage is caused by bad weather, road travel may not be possible for several days.
  • Extra blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes. If you are without heat, close off one room to live in and wear extra layers of clothes.
  • Clean drinking water. Have at least one gallon of fresh water available for each person per day.
  • A manual can opener and non-perishable food. A camp stove and fuel may be handy, but be sure to use it outdoors.
  • A cooler for storing frequently used foods. Food will keep several hours in a closed, full refrigerator, and up to two days in a closed, full freezer.
  • Firewood, if you have a fireplace or woodstove.