If the power goes off in your house, you will need to check and see if a fuse has been blown or a breaker has been tripped. Then you can either replace the blown fuse or reset the breaker. However, you should note that a blown fuse or tripped breaker is a warning that you have either a defective appliance or overloaded wiring. For repair you will need to call either an electrician or an appliance repairman.

If all the lights are off, check the main breaker which is usually located just below the meter. If the main breaker is tripped, you can reset it. It also signals that there is something wrong on your side of the meter. If that does not restore your lights, then you need to call us. Before you call us, check and see if your neighbors have power. This will help us determine how widespread the outage is. Call the Cooperative at 961-3001.

WHEN YOU REPORT AN OUTAGE

When you call, give us your name, location, and phone number. If you know what caused the outage, please describe it (car hit a pole, tree limb fell on the line, etc.). This can save us a great deal of time.

If you get a busy signal, please keep trying. We will answer the phones as fast as we can. Once you've called us, please do not call again because others may also be trying to reach us. Rest assured that we will work around the clock, if necessary, to restore your service as quickly as possible.

WHILE THE ELECTRICITY IS OFF

Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed. Food can keep for at least 24 hours. If an outage should ever last longer than that, make arrangements to store your food at another location.

LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT

If someone in your home is dependent on life-support equipment, don't wait until an outage to notify us CALL US NOW!! (406-961-3001) We will give these residences priority when services are reconnected. The Cooperative suggests that you have a stand-by generator available as a precautionary measure.

SCHEDULED OUTAGES

Occasionally the Cooperative will need to schedule a planned outage in order to do maintenance or repair work on the lines. We will make every effort to notify you by mail if time permits. We will broadcast notices on local radio stations for extensive planned outages.

BLINKS

It's important for our members to realize that REC is a predominantly rural electric company. Miles of line run through wooded areas. Very short outages called "blinks" are more common because of today's electrical safety equipment. If a branch falls on a power line, power is automatically cut to that line until the branch falls clear. Then, a few moments later, power is restored. Your VCR with its blinking 12:00 may be the only hint that there was a mini-outage. Blinks are unavoidable, though we do everything we can (with tree trimming, etc.) to reduce the number. We recommend you gradually replace your clocks and VCRs with newer models with battery backup.