What to Do When the Lights Go Out?
When the lights go out, here are a few things that you can check:
- Check to see if a fuse has been blown or a breaker tripped
- Check the main breaker (located just below your meter) and reset it if necessary
- Check with your neighbors to see whether they are also without power
- If you are unable to locate a problem, you can call our office at (406) 961-3001
How To Report An Outage
- To report an outage, give us a call at (406) 961-3001
- We will always have someone on call, even after business hours
- Follow the prompts on the phone to report your outage
- You can also report an outage through your mobile phone using your SmartHub Account
When you call, give us:
- Your name, location, and phone number
- If you know what caused the outage, please describe it (a car hit a pole, a 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.
- This indicates that there are multiple outages and a lot of members calling in
- Please be patient – we will answer the phones as fast as we can
- Once you’ve called us, please do not call again – others may also be trying to reach us
Outage Updates
- You can also see outage updates on our Facebook Page
- Rest assured that we will work around the clock, if necessary, to restore your service as safely and as quickly as possible
Scheduled Outages
Occasionally the Cooperative will need to schedule a planned outage.
- Ravalli Electric Cooperative (REC) will schedule a planned outage in order to do maintenance or repair work on the lines
- REC schedules maintenance outages so they can be completed as safely and cost-effectively as possible while minimizing inconvenience to our customers
- We will make every effort to notify you by phone if time permits, so make sure we have your current contact information – you can also make changes in SmartHub
While the Electricity is Off
Food
- 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
- You can purchase some “dry ice” and put that in your freezer to keep your frozen foods longer
Medical 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 standby generator available as a precautionary measure
Blinks
Miles of lines run through wooded areas, as most of our members live in the rural areas of each district.
- Blinking lights are a result of momentary outages that occur when some type of disturbance exists on the line
- These very short outages called “blinks” have become 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 oven clock with its blinking “12:00” time may be the only hint that there was a mini-outage
What Causes Blinks?
Blinks could be a result of:
- A lightning strike
- An automobile hitting a pole
- An animal or tree branch coming into contact with an energized power line
Blinks are Unavoidable
- We do everything we can (with tree trimming, etc.) to reduce the number of blinks
- We recommend you gradually replace your clocks and DVD players with newer models containing a battery backup
- If you have a home office or conduct business on your computer, you may want to purchase a universal power station (UPS)
- The UPS will help prevent you from losing important files in the event your residence experiences a short outage