Cold Weather Leaves 651 EREC Customers In The Dark

January 12, 2010

For three consecutive mornings, some Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers in north Escambia lost power.

Only a handful in the Walnut Hill area were without power Saturday morning for up to four hours. By Sunday and Monday mornings, EREC reported up to 651 customers without power, mostly in an area from Oak Grove to Walnut Hill and along South Highway 99 to Enon, Bay Springs to Crabtree Church Road to Barrineau Park.

erec.jpg“EREC takes necessary steps to make certain its power system is prepared for whatever weather may come our way. EREC ensures adequate energy for system peaks is available for high demand in cold weather snaps. However, ice and frigid temperatures can cause power outages for a variety of reasons,” said Sabrina Owens, EREC spokesperson. “For example, power lines contract in cold weather and can sometimes break resulting in a power outage. Temperature drops can cause an extraordinary load on equipment which can, in turn, result in equipment inefficiencies or failure. In addition, wind and ice on tree limbs can cause branches to break and hit power lines which will cause an interruption in power.”

EREC will immediately respond to any power outage on its system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Owens said, adding that power crews will work non-stop to ensure any disruption in power is restored as quickly and efficiently as possible.

EREC offers the following safety tips to follow during extreme cold temperatures:

  • Never touch a fallen power line, and assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged. Call EREC at 1-877-OUT-EREC or 1-877-688-3732 to report it immediately.
  • In the event of an outage, use an alternate heating source—such as a fireplace, propane space heater, or wood stove. Extreme caution should be taken.
  • Stay in an area of the home where the alternate heat source is located.
  • Fuel- and wood-burning heating sources should be vented. Be sure to follow manufacturer’s directions.
  • Make sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are working properly.
  • Do not use a gas-powered oven for heating. A gas oven may go out or burn inefficiently, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Do not use a gas or charcoal grill inside the home. Do not use charcoal briquettes in the fireplace.
  • If you use a portable generator to power a heating source, be sure the generator is located outside your house for proper ventilation. Do not use a generator in an attached garage. Follow manufacturer’s directions for operating the generator.
  • Take special care not to overload a generator. Use appropriately sized extension cords to carry the electric load. Make sure the cords have a grounded, three-pronged plug and are in good condition.
  • Never run cords under rugs or carpets.
  • Never connect generators to power lines. The reverse flow of electricity can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.

Comments

3 Responses to “Cold Weather Leaves 651 EREC Customers In The Dark”

  1. BO on January 12th, 2010 5:58 pm

    I am getting tierd of waking up with no power. The power went off and my well lost its prime. it was more of a pain than anything. I do appreciate when the folks at EREC get it fixed and back on. thanks for fixing it. hopefully it won’t happen again.

  2. interested reader on January 12th, 2010 1:44 pm

    MY THANKS TO EREC FOR DOING A GOOD JOB DESPITE THE COLD. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO.

  3. Century girl on January 12th, 2010 1:24 am

    Thank you EREC for braving the cold, rain, and other elements and taking good care of your members during this past month. We appreciate you!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News