Dos and Don'ts of Power Outages

Power is something we often take for granted. We depend on it to work and most of the time it does; but when the lights go out, it’s good to know what to do. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

DO

• Do make a note of what time your power went out. Details like this are important.
• Check to see if your neighbors have power. If they do, check your circuit breakers. The power outage may be an easy fix.
• Do wait about five minutes before reporting the outage. The BEC grid uses a system of reclosers. These are similar to circuit breakers in your home. If reclosers detect a problem they close, then open the circuit (sometimes more than once) to test the electricity flow. Wait a few minutes to give the reclosures enough time to test.
• Do let us know. Power blinks are common during a storm, but if you notice your power blink on and off every five minutes or so, on an otherwise clear day, let us know so we can investigate.
• Do report outages using the myBEC mobile app or call our 24/7 dispatch center at 866-226-3372.
• Do include important information such as gate or lock combinations, pole numbers, or other observations like a blown transformer fuse.
• Do stash flashlights in key locations around the home.
• Do stay up to date with outages in your area with our live outage map at BanderaElectric.com/OutageMap.

DON’T

• Don’t report an outage on our social media page. It’s not monitored by dispatch.
• Don’t assume we know about an outage in your area.
• Don’t use a generator indoors. Generators running inside your home will expose you and your family to deadly carbon monoxide.
• Don’t open the refrigerator or freezer. Try to minimize the number of times you let the cold air escape. You could be without power for a while, and you want to keep your food safe.
• Don’t walk into standing water. You never know what could be down there. Downed branches or even power lines could be hiding in the mirky water below.