Power Outages

At West River  Electric, providing you with low-cost, reliable power is our absolute top priority. We invest heavily into new power management technologies and professional employees who pride themselves on keeping your lights on.

Despite our best efforts, however, power outages are sometimes unavoidable. Power disruptions can occur on any day for many different reasons. Storms, small animals, system failures and even equipment problems from other power suppliers can cause power outages. While we hope your experiences with outages are few and far between, being prepared is always the best approach.

Here are some general tips to prepare for outages:

• Make sure you have a battery operated AM-FM weather radio to provide local information.
• Make sure you have working flashlights.
• Have extra batteries for flashlights and portable radios.
• Have a non-cordless phone in your home- phone lines operate independent of power lines.
• Store extra water and non-perishable food.
• Some people choose to purchase back up generators for outage situations. If you purchase a generator, make sure you have a qualified electrician hook it up for you. DO NOT hook the generator directly into your home's main circuit breaker.

If you lose power in your home or business:

• If service is interrupted, check your circuit breakers or fuses.
• If all your service is off, check to see if your neighbors have power.
• Report promptly if you think the trouble is on West River Electric's lines. When reporting an outage, or anything unusual, be sure to give your account number, location address, and phone number.
• Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer whenever possible. Food should stay fresh for at least 24 hours if the door is seldom opened.
• Disconnect televisions, computers and all sensitive electric equipment to prevent damage when power is restored.
• For extended outages or outages in severe weather situations, remember to check on the elderly and housebound people in your area.