Checklist of Things to Do When an Outage Occurs:
Check fuses or breakers in your electrical panel box.
Check to see if your neighbors’ lights are off. Even if your neighbors’ lights are on, don’t hesitate to call us.
If fuses or breakers are ok, call us or report your outage in the online Outage Center or free app.
Turn off all electric appliances that were on when the outage occurred, especially air conditioners, heat pumps, or other large electric appliances. You will want to leave a light on so you will know when your power has been restored.
Stay away from downed power lines and broken utility poles. Please note the location of the downed line or pole and call Sellwood immediately.
If your power is still out once your neighbors’ homes have been returned to service, you should not hesitate to call the cooperative again.
Don’t keep checking your refrigerator and/or freezer. Food will keep much longer if the doors are kept closed.
If any member of your family is on a life-support system, please notify us today so their name, account number, and telephone number can be placed on our life support registry.
Steps to Restoring Power
Restoring power after a major outage involves much more than simply throwing a switch or removing a tree from a line. Follow the steps below to see how we restore power.
1. High Voltage Transmission Lines
- Transmission towers and cables supply power to transmission substations (and thousands of customers)
- When damaged, these facilities must be repaired before other parts of the system can operate
2. Distribution Substation
- A substation can serve hundreds or thousands of consumers
- Line crews inspect substations to determine if problems stem from transmission lines, the substation itself, or if problems exist further down the line
3. Main Distribution Lines
- If the problem cannot be isolated at a distribution substation, distribution lines are checked
- These lines carry power to large groups of consumers in communities or housing developments
4. Tap Lines
- If local outages persist, supply lines (also known as tap lines) are inspected
- These lines deliver power to transformerss, either mounted on poles or placed on pads for underground service, outside businesses, schools, and homes
5. Individual Homes
- If your home remains without power, the service line between a transformer and your residence may need to be repaired
- Always call to report an outage to help line crews isolate local issues