Power Outage With PPL Electric: What to do, who to call

Power out in your home? Find out what to do, who to call, and how get your power service back and running, no matter what the situation is.

What to do When Your Power Goes Out

• Determine the cause of the power outage. Is it affecting only your home, or your neighbourhood? If only your home is affected, check that you haven't blown a circuit
• Call the appropriate number to notify PPL Electric Utilities. Report general outages at 1-800-342-5775, or call payment assistance at 1-800-358-6623 if you have missed a bill payment
• Follow electrical and power outage safety guidelines as you wait for power to be restored

Blown Circuit

The first thing you should do when your power goes out is to check to make sure that you haven't blown a circuit. When you use too many electrical appliances at the same time you risk overloading the circuit, which will cause it to "trip". If you were using multiple electrical appliances at the same time and the power suddenly went off, it is likely that one of your circuits has tripped. In this case, make sure to unplug some of your electrical appliances and check the circuit breakers in your electrical panel to make sure that there aren't any that have tripped. If this is the case, simply push the lever fully "off" and then "on".

Neighbourhood Outage

Call PPL Electric Utilities if this is a local outage. Their number for outages and electric emergencies is 1-800-342-5775. Choose option 1, then press 3 for emergency:

• The location, date, and time of the outage
• Whether you saw or heard anything out of the ordinary
• Whether your neighbours have power as well
• Keep in mind that it may take some time to get in touch with a customer service representative because other customers are also reporting the outage. Check the PPL Electric Utilities website or their Twitter account to see if they are aware of the problem.

You can also report an outage online.

Power Outage Safety Tips

Follow these tips to stay safe during a power outage:

• Stay clear of downed power lines
• Make sure to turn off any electrical appliances (e.g. electric ovens, ranges or space heaters) that may have been in use when the outage occurred
• Unplug any sensitive home electronics that may be damaged when power is restored
• Do not use gas ovens or ranges to heat your home
• Avoid using candles for lighting, as they can cause a fire if tipped by animals or people, or if they come in contact with a combustible item. Use flashlights instead
• Never run a generator in your home, basement, or other indoor space where exhaust fumes may accumulate

Food Safety During Power Outages

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible - an unopened fridge will keep food cool for about four hours
• Use perishable food from the refrigerator as quickly as possible
• A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. If it's possible that the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for items in your freezer

New Home

If you have recently moved, it is possible that power was cut if your home was uninhabited for an extended period of time or because the previous inhabitant did not pay their bill. You will need to contact PPL Electric Utilities as soon as possible to see when you can have power reconnected. Be aware that you may have to pay a reconnection fee.

Non-Payment

If you would like more information about assistance with your bill, call 1-800-358-6623. Note that this is an automated service. You can also request assistance online through your online PPL Electric Utilities account.

That being said, if you suspect that your power is out because you have missed a bill, you should call PPL Electric customer service at 1-800 342-5775 to make a special payment arrangement to have your service reconnected. Their hours are Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.