If you are seeking information about current outages please refer to our news page.
Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC) supplies its Member-Owners with reliable electric power the majority of the time, but even the best systems break. Unfortunately, power outages are a fact of life.
Here is a simple checklist that may help if the lights go out at your house.
Is the problem in your home? An adult needs to check the fuse or circuit breaker panel to see if the problem is confined inside the house. Be sure to check the main breaker. For most homes it is located outside, near the electric meter.
Will looking at the meter help? YES. If the fuses and circuit breakers appear to be okay, look at the meter (see Finding My Meter and Number). When there is power to the meter, it will flash numbers (alternating between the reading and 8's). If the digital read out is blank, call BEC as this indicates there is no power to the meter.
Note: Keep in mind cordless telephones do not work when the power is off,
so keep one old fashioned telephone handy.
Is your neighbor out of power? If you believe the problem is on BEC’s lines, it is a good idea to check with a neighbor to see if they have power. Letting us know if your neighbor is also without power helps the Cooperative pinpoint the problem more quickly.
Does BEC know when there is an outage? Sometimes. BEC has advanced system-monitoring capabilities in all its substations, but this system cannot identify every problem. We want you to call when there is an outage. You may have information the Co-op needs in order to respond properly and quickly.
What does BEC need to know about your outage? You need to be ready to tell BEC:
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your name,
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what time the power was lost,
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your meter number,
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physical (911) address (if you have one)
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telephone number and
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if you heard a popping noise or saw a flash of light immediately prior to the lights going out.
Are there things I need to do around my house when there is an outage? YES, there are a number of things you can do during a power outage to help protect your property from damage. See our power outage tips to learn what you should do if the lights go out and the interruption is on BEC's system.
A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to get your lights back on. Click here to see how power is restored after an outage.
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