When the Lights Go Out…
A few simple steps can provide peace of mind for you and your family if the lights go out.
Check your breakers
Many outages are merely tripped circuit breakers. Before calling the PUD, check your electrical panel to see if one or more breakers has tripped. If so, try resetting. If an outage has occurred in your region, and you see that power has been restored to neighbors, be sure to check your breaker prior to calling the PUD. If the breaker has not tripped and the power remains out, please call our customer service line to report the outage or report via your mobile device on your SmartHub app.
Check your neighbors
Before reporting, check to see if your neighbors are also without power.
This helps the PUD understand what type of outage you may have.
Newer AMI meters currently being installed throughout the District help the PUD quickly identify outage areas and aid in pinpointing problem areas. PUD dispatch and customer service still appreciates insight from affected customers calling in outages, however, to better prepare responding crews.
Check our website
Check the outage map on our website, jeffpud.org (here) to see if your outage is part of a larger affected area. If the outage is widespread, the main phone line at (360) 385-5800 will likely be busy.
Report the outage
Call (360) 385-5800 and choose Option 3. Please provide your name and physical address. You can also report the outage on SmartHub (here) from your phone, so be sure to sig up now!
Turn off the lights, unplug appliances
Turn off most lights and unplug any appliances you can to avoid damage from surges that may occur when power is restored. Pay special attention to sump pumps and freezers. Be sure to check all GFCI outlets after the power is restored.
During longer-duration outages and under colder conditions, voltage issues within larger outage areas can be a concern. This is commonly referred to as “cold-load pickup” or over voltage in the area which can lead to additional outages. Homeowners can help reduce the potential for cold-load issues by disconnecting appliances like the furnace or water heater during longer outages. When power is restored, wait one to two hours to reconnect the appliances. This greatly reduces the initial load on the system when re-energized.
Follow PUD social channels for updates
Keep backup batteries charged and have a portable battery charger on hand and charged to ensure your mobile device stays charged during an outage.
During large outages, the PUD regularly posts updates on its social media feeds: Facebook and Twitter. Outage updates will also be available on the PUD website main page as a Twitter notification posting.
We highly recommend Jefferson County residents subscribe to NIXLE email and text notifications from Jefferson County Dept. of Emergency Management (here).
Local radio stations such as KPTZ 91.1FM and KIRO 97.3FM, can also provide updates on large scale outage events.
