What to Do During an Outage
- During business hours – Call (360) 385- 5800 to report a power outage. If no one has answered, we are likely processing many calls and/or turning the phones over so that all customer service representatives can field incoming calls. If you cannot get through initially, please wait about 5 minutes and try again.
- After business hours – Call (360) 385- 5800 to report a power outage (Press 2) and your call will be forwarded to on-call personnel. If the line is busy or mailbox is full and you cannot leave a message, we are likely experiencing high phone traffic and we are on our way to going live with the phones with personnel. If you cannot leave a message, please call back in several minutes. Odds are good we are in the process of setting up for increased phone traffic.
- Be persistent if you cannot get through. Your information could be critical in helping us identify where to deploy crews and fix the problem. If power is not restored within 2 hours, consider calling us back to inquire when to expect it to return.
- During a major outage Jefferson PUD will have a short outgoing message describing the outage and where it is. Generally, we will not provide information regarding when power will be restored during a major storm event. Check the homepage of this website or Facebook and Nextdoor for updates.
- Listen to local radio stations such as KPTZ (91.9 FM) and KSQM (91.5 FM) for emergency management status updates.
- Turn off lights and appliances, including your furnace, and unplug sensitive electronic devices, like computers to avoid a circuit overload when power is restored. Leave one light switch on so you’ll know when service returns.
- Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed; open them only when necessary. Food will usually stay frozen for 36-48 hours in a fully loaded freezer if you keep the door closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours.
- If driving and traffic signals are out, treat the intersection as a four-way stop.
- Do not use gasoline-powered machinery indoors, such as generators in any enclose space; toxic fumes kill! Operate generators outdoors. Plug appliances directly into the generator using heavy duty, properly grounded extension cords that aren’t worn or frayed.
- Do not use charcoal grills indoors. Dangerous carbon monoxide generated from them and other fuel-burning devices can and do kill people every year.
- Do not use a gas range or oven for room heating. A fuel-burning heater, such as a kerosene heater, requires plenty of ventilation to prevent buildup of harmful fumes. Place heaters on a hard, stable surface away from flammable materials. Never leave children or pets alone when using a portable heater.
Prepare yourself and stay safe!