| Common Questions About Storm Restoration |
|
|
|
| Q. Does OG&E know which customers are without power during a major storm? |
| A. Not necessarily. That’s why customers should call OG&E Customer Service to report an outage. This helps us analyze the problem and restore power more rapidly. |
|
|
|
Q. What happens after a customer reports an outage? |
| A. Each call will have a work order generated. The orders are sent to our outage management system for analysis to determine the most likely cause of the outage. Orders are then dispatched to troubleshooters who go to the locations of the outages to assess the problem. If the troubleshooters cannot repair the problem, then a line crew will be called out to make repairs. |
|
|
| Q. How does OG&E decide whose power is restored first? |
| A. During storm restoration, priority is given to facilities that are essential to the health and welfare of the community. They include hospitals and other health care providers, police and fire departments and the news media. |
|
|
| Q. After the priority customers are restored, how does OG&E decide whose power to restore next and in what order? |
| A. Our strategy is to do whatever it takes to bring the most customers' power back on the fastest. If we have a choice of sending crews to do work that will restore power to 1,000 customers or send them to do work that will restore 10, the decision is simple.
Work the 1,000 first. |
|
|
| Q. Why do some customers have power and their neighbors don’t? |
| A. They could be on different circuits, transformers or fuses. This is common. Not all houses in a neighborhood are necessarily on the same service lines. |
|
|
| Q. Why is it difficult for OG&E to say how long it will take to get power restored? |
| A. Weather conditions, accessibility to damaged areas, the time of day, safety and environmental issues are among the many factors that determine the amount of time it takes to restore power. Following large storms, these and many other factors can affect the restoration process, which greatly complicates our ability to predict restoration times. |
|
|
| Q. How does OG&E handle increased calls during major outages? |
| A. Our entire staff of customer service representatives is on-call during large outages of extended duration. We also activate our automated answering system. The system can take up to 1,800 calls, simultaneously. Customers will be prompted to enter their telephone number or account number to report an outage. |
|
|
| Q. Is this why some customers have to talk to a computer? |
| A. Yes. Our automated system allows us to handle 1,800 calls at a time. The information we get from the calls helps us to restore power faster. It also reduces the number of customers who experience busy signals when they call or the amount of time they are asked to stay on hold. |
|
|
| Q. What if someone in the home has special medical problems or is on life-sustaining medical equipment? |
| A. In an emergency situation call 911. Also notify an OG&E customer service representative. Always have a back-up plan in case the damage is so severe that it could take a while to repair. |
|
|
| Q. What if a power line falls in a customer’s yard? |
| A. Downed power lines may look harmless, but they could be deadly. Keep children and pets away from downed power lines. Call OG&E Customer Service and report the problem immediately. |
|
|
| Q. Why do I see OG&E vehicles leave my neighborhood without restoring service to the area? |
| A. To get the power back on following major outages, OG&E’s first responsibility is to clear and secure all known hazards such as downed poles and energized lines that may have fallen across streets and roadways. Do not attempt to stop an OG&E vehicle to report an outage. It will only delay them in getting to their assigned work orders. |
|
|
| Q. Why do my clocks blink sometimes during high winds? |
| A. “Blinks” are split-second interruptions in service. While they may be annoying, they serve an important purpose. For example, when a tree limb falls on a wire, automatic sensing equipment detects a potentially dangerous condition and temporarily breaks the circuit for a split-second. This very brief break in the flow of electricity protects essential parts of the electric delivery system from major damage, and actually helps prevent outages. They are a normal part of power delivery systems. They used to go unnoticed, but today’s sophisticated computers and other electronic equipment are sensitive and can be affected by a momentary interruption that lasts only a fraction of a second. |
|
|
| Q. What safety precautions should be followed when using a portable generator during an outage? |
| A. Improper use of portable generators can be dangerous and even deadly. That’s why it’s important to observe the manufacturer’s instructions for proper usage of the generator. Two primary hazards associated with portable generators are carbon monoxide poisoning from the engine exhaust and electrocution from connecting the generator to the home electrical wiring system. Portable generators should never be used indoors or in attached garages. If connecting the generator to house wiring, install a transfer switch using National Electrical Code requirements. This switch will transfer the load of the household power source that is normally supplied by OG&E over to the portable generator. This prevents the inadvertent energizing of circuits and reduces the possibility of electrocution resulting from contact with the lines presumed to be de-energized. Individual appliances should be plugged into the generator using heavy duty, outdoor-rated cords with a wire gauge adequate for the appliance load. It is also
important to select the appropriate generator for your needs. Determine how many appliances are going to run at the same time and select a generator based on the total wattage that will be used. |
