Got Flickering Lights?

If your lights dim or flicker, this could indicate that your electric power is about to be interrupted. Flickering or dimming lights are caused by physical interference, such as tree limbs falling on power lines serving your neighborhood.

• Unplug sensitive electronic equipment, including computers or security alarm systems.
• Disconnect motor-driven appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators at the plug or at the circuit breaker.
• If your power goes out, leave these appliances disconnected until electric service is restored.

If You Lose Power

To make the best of the situation if your power goes out, here's what you can do:

• Check if your neighbor has lost power, too. If so, call us toll-free at 1-877-434-4100 to report the outage. (It would be helpful if you have your 10-digit O&R account number handy.)
• If you're the only house on the street without electricity, first find out if your main fuse is blown or the circuit breaker is tripped.

If it's your main fuse, move the switch in the fuse box to the Off position. Replace any blown fuses, then turn the main switch back to On. To reset your circuit breaker, first switch the breaker all the way to Off, then back to On.

If you're still in the dark after that, then call us toll-free at 1-877-434-4100 to report the outage.

What We'll Need To Know

• When you call to report an electric problem, be prepared to give us your name, telephone number and address. Be as specific as possible about your location, by giving us cross streets or mentioning visible landmarks.
• We also could use any information you think might be helpful for our repair crews. Tell us if you heard a loud boom, can see sparks or electric arcing, or know of downed trees or poles in your neighborhood. Advance knowledge of possibly dangerous conditions helps us prioritize the restoration process.
• In order to accommodate the very high volume of calls during widespread outage conditions, incoming calls may be routed to O&R's Voice Response Unit (VRU), a computerized phone system, instead of to a live representative. When you hear the VRU options, please don't hang up.

  The VRU system is quick and efficient. Simply listen to the instructions and, using your touch-tone phone, enter the requested information to report your outage. At the end of the call, you'll get a confirmation that your problem was recorded and will be processed. This process will handle your outage report exactly as if you had talked to a Customer Service representative.