SVEC Reminds Members of Best Practices for Reporting Outages 2/17/21
February 17, 2021
ROCKINGHAM – With another winter storm in the forecast, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative encourages members to become familiar with how to report power outages and the process crews will take to restore service.
How to Report Outages: Widespread, lengthy outages are possible during major weather events such as the one in the forecast. In these situations, it’s important to know the ways outages can be reported:
Members should not report outages over SVEC’s social media channels. Our operations team must receive official outage notification through one of the three methods listed above. Additionally, “blinking” of lights may occur, which is a normal condition during a weather event such as this. Co-op members do not need to report blinking lights in these circumstances.
After Hours Calls: Members who contact the cooperative via telephone outside of regular hours (7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) may be connected to a call center. The representatives from the call center are responsible for taking notes, when necessary, to share with an SVEC member service representative. The call center will not be able to provide any additional information to the member reporting an outage, such as an update on storm restoration. For the latest information, SVEC regularly updates its social media channels and sends media releases several times a day.
Restoration Process: Crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. The cooperative prioritizes restoration by first working scenes that will bring the most people back on. While members can often find an estimated time for restoration on SVEC’s outage map, this information may not be available during a large-scale outage situation. Please keep in mind unsafe road conditions may increase SVEC’s response time to outages.
COVID-19: The cooperative’s offices remain closed to the public and its field operations are limiting work to emergency and outage situations because of COVID-19. Current co-op policy restricts direct contact with members to lower the risk of exposure.
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Safety and Preparation: Do not make any attempts to clear trees or other debris from power lines. Note the location, and any other important information regarding these situations, and please contact SVEC immediately at 1-800-234-7832. Please avoid contact with downed power lines.
Please be sure to have all devices fully charged before inclement weather arrives. It is also important to prepare a home outage kit in case of extended outages, to include:
For further explanation on SVEC’s steps to restoring power, please see the graphic below.
Chartered in 1936, SVEC serves approximately 96,000 meters in the counties of Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren and the city of Winchester in Virginia. Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative was the first electric cooperative chartered in Virginia. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. SVEC supports our armed services and veterans in employment opportunities.
How to Report Outages: Widespread, lengthy outages are possible during major weather events such as the one in the forecast. In these situations, it’s important to know the ways outages can be reported:
- By Phone: 1-800-234-7832
- Online: Outage Center at www.svec.coop
- Mobile: On the free MySVEC app
Members should not report outages over SVEC’s social media channels. Our operations team must receive official outage notification through one of the three methods listed above. Additionally, “blinking” of lights may occur, which is a normal condition during a weather event such as this. Co-op members do not need to report blinking lights in these circumstances.
After Hours Calls: Members who contact the cooperative via telephone outside of regular hours (7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) may be connected to a call center. The representatives from the call center are responsible for taking notes, when necessary, to share with an SVEC member service representative. The call center will not be able to provide any additional information to the member reporting an outage, such as an update on storm restoration. For the latest information, SVEC regularly updates its social media channels and sends media releases several times a day.
Restoration Process: Crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. The cooperative prioritizes restoration by first working scenes that will bring the most people back on. While members can often find an estimated time for restoration on SVEC’s outage map, this information may not be available during a large-scale outage situation. Please keep in mind unsafe road conditions may increase SVEC’s response time to outages.
COVID-19: The cooperative’s offices remain closed to the public and its field operations are limiting work to emergency and outage situations because of COVID-19. Current co-op policy restricts direct contact with members to lower the risk of exposure.
-MORE-
-2-
Safety and Preparation: Do not make any attempts to clear trees or other debris from power lines. Note the location, and any other important information regarding these situations, and please contact SVEC immediately at 1-800-234-7832. Please avoid contact with downed power lines.
Please be sure to have all devices fully charged before inclement weather arrives. It is also important to prepare a home outage kit in case of extended outages, to include:
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- A battery-operated radio
- Candles or lanterns and matches
- An alternate source of heat
- Canned or packaged foods
- Water (one gallon per person per day for drinking)
- Disposable plates and utensils
- Camp stove or other emergency cooking device
- Extra blankets or sleeping bags
- Fire extinguisher
- First aid kit
For further explanation on SVEC’s steps to restoring power, please see the graphic below.
Chartered in 1936, SVEC serves approximately 96,000 meters in the counties of Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren and the city of Winchester in Virginia. Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative was the first electric cooperative chartered in Virginia. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. SVEC supports our armed services and veterans in employment opportunities.
