This page will provide you with information on where and how to report an outage, and what to do in case of an outage...

Reporting an Outage

To report an outage:
Call: 245-7000, or e-mail: pcc@ci.redding.ca.us

Note: If you see a downed power line, DO NOT go near it!
Call 911 and 245-7000 to report it.

WHAT TO DO IF THE POWER GOES OUT
Check your fuse or breaker for blown fuses or tripped circuits. If they're okay, check to see if your neighbors are without power. If all your neighbors have power, and the outage is related to your service only, chances are the problem is with one of your fuses or breakers.

• Call the Redding Electric Utility at 245-7000 immediately to report the outage. Please call only once so other customers can get through. If you get a recorded message, then all lines are busy while other customers call to report outages.
• Turn off all electrical equipment, including your water heater, electric furnace or heaters, stove, washer and dryer, stereo and TV, to help prevent overloading the system when power is restored. (Major appliances can be turned off at the breaker box.) Do, however, turn on a porch light and one inside light so you and the Redding Electric Utility's crews will know when service is restored.
• Listen to a radio (battery powered) for updates on major storm outages.
• If your neighbors' power comes back on and yours does not, call the Redding Electric Utility again at 245-7000.

If your power goes out and you are a Redding Electric Utility customer, call the Redding Electric Utility at 245-7000. This number is manned on a 24-hour basis. When you talk to an Electric Utility representative, it will be helpful if you can provide any of the following information:

• Street, address and the nearest cross street.
• Telephone number so we can call you back if needed.
• Are your lights dim or out?
• Are your neighbors' lights out?
• Is a power line down? (Never touch a downed power line.)
• Did a tree limb fall on a power line?
• Is there any damage to a utility pole or other electrical equipment?
• Are the streetlights out?
• Did you hear a noise such as an explosion, or see an electrical arc (flash)?

BE PREPARED
Severe weather might cause damage interrupting your electric service. Every household should have an emergency kit tucked into a cupboard in case of a power outage.
Your kit should contain:
• This list
• Flashlight and batteries (check for good condition periodically)
• Candles, holders and matches
• Battery powered radio
• Extra batteries (change batteries periodically)
• Manual can opener
• Battery-powered or windup alarm clock
Other handy items to consider having available:
Bottled water, sanitary water containers (if you rely on electricity to pump water), a thermos, firewood and kindling, camp lights and lanterns (do not use kerosene lanterns indoors unless you have proper ventilation), first-aid kit.

ABOUT POWER OUTAGES
If there's a power outage, The City of Redding Electric Utility crews respond quickly to repair the lines. Electric Utility Troubleshooters are regularly scheduled on a shift from 5:00 a.m., until 12:00 midnight. They are assigned to make an assessment of the problem and fix it, if possible, otherwise they notify the System Operator to call in an Electric Utility crew.

Occasionally, though, the problem isn't with the electrical lines running down your street or with the lines running to your house (service drop)- it's at your house. For instance, the meter base, the service mast, or conduit above your electric meter, and the weather head at the top of the mast all belong to you, not the City of Redding Electric Utility. If any of this electrical equipment on your house is damaged, you'll need to contact an electrical contractor to do the repair work.

TIPS FOR POWER OUTAGES
While the power is out, your cold food supplies can be saved by following these simple tips:

Frozen Foods - If your freezer is full, food will stay frozen for about two days (depending on the weather at the time). If it is less than half full, frozen food will remain frozen for about one day. Cover the freezer with blankets, quilts or sleeping bags to further insulate the freezer and help food stay frozen longer. After power is restored, check all frozen foods to determine the extent of thawing. Dispose of any food that is discolored or smells spoiled.

Refrigerated Food - To avoid losing cold air in your refrigerator, don't open doors unnecessarily. Meat and fish spoil quickly at temperatures above 40 degrees F. Other quick-spoiling foods include milk, custards, creamed foods and any foods containing mayonnaise or eggs. Cooked and cured meat will keep for several days in a closed refrigerator. Hard cheeses keep well, even at room temperature. Again, if in doubt throw it out. You might also try placing bags of ice in the refrigerator, or place food in a cooler or ice chest.

Heating - Never use charcoal briquettes to cook or heat food indoors. Charcoal briquettes produce carbon monoxide. Odorless and colorless, a build-up of carbon monoxide can be deadly. Power outages can occur any time of the year. However, during cold weather the temperature inside your home can drop rapidly. Consider taking these simple precautions to stay warm safely and save body heat.
• Wear a hat even while sleeping.
• Wear loose layers of clothing to trap body heat.
• Keep moving: exercise generates body heat.
• Use plenty of blankets, and a hot-water bottle if you're able to heat water. Be alert for signs of hypothermia (a drop in core body temperature) especially in infants and the elderly. Even air temperatures of 65 degrees F can trigger hypothermia, and some medical conditions can make people more susceptible. If someone has a body temperature below 95 degrees, call for medical help. Check on elderly neighbors too.
• Lock in home heat. Pick one room on the sunny side of the house and close it off to keep the heat in. Use blankets to insulate cracks around windows and doors. Use heat sources safely.
• Keep firefighting materials handy: salt, baking soda, heavy blankets and a fire extinguisher.
• Never use kerosene heaters unless you have proper ventilation-they create harmful fumes.

LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
If someone in your home is on life support equipment and you experience a power outage, call the Redding Electric Utility immediately at 245-7000. Even before any outage may occur, the Redding Electric Utility would like to be aware of the locations of all life support customers who depend on City power. Contact us for information pertaining to our Life Support Notification program by calling 224-4384. We will add your name and address to a special roster that lets us know where life support units or oxygen supplies are used. We refer to the list for planned maintenance outages and will contact you first when planning to perform routine work on the lines.
This does not mean the Redding Electric Utility will automatically be informed of a power outage at your home, nor does it mean that we can restore your power first. However, it does allow us to be aware of your situation and do all that we can to help you in a power outage. Please remember that while the City of Redding Electric Utility works to restore power as quickly as possible to all customers, it is the responsibility of the care giver to have a back-up system and a plan of action to use in the event of a power outage or other emergency.
No one can predict when a power outage might happen. That's why anyone who depends on life support equipment, oxygen or refrigeration for life-sustaining medications should seriously consider owning a portable, back-up generator. While most life support equipment does have built-in back-up systems, the back-up period may not be long enough to cover a major outage. With a generator, the equipment will continue operating, and the patient may not have to be relocated to a temporary shelter.

PORTABLE GENERATORS
Owners of portable or auxiliary generators should note these precautions. Never plug your generator into a wall outlet. The electricity generated by a generator cannot only ruin your home's wiring and start a fire, it will also feed back into the utility system and energize a line thought to be without power. An unsuspecting City of Redding Electric Utility lineman could be seriously injured or killed by contacting lines that have been back-fed from a portable generator.
Permanently installed auxiliary generators must meet electric codes and have a transfer switch to prevent dangerous back-feed of electricity into power lines. Contact a licensed electrician. Also, please notify Redding Electric Utility if you have a permanent generator installed at your home or business.
Portable generators are gasoline-powered and should always be placed in a well-ventilated area. Use an indoor/outdoor, grounded (three-prong) extension cord to connect your generator to an appliance.

COMPUTER TIPS
If you have a home computer, it's a good idea to protect your work before any outage. Here are some computer related power tips:
• Rule one is to remember to save your files regularly. Auto-save back-up programs will do the work for you and are available at any computer store.
• Install a surge protector. Don't confuse a power strip with a surge protector - good surge protectors (also known as transitory volt suppressors) cost about $70, and they will protect your computer from surges that follow any sort of power disturbance. They are available at most office supply, computer and home improvement stores.
• You might want to also consider an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS is a battery back-up system that supplies power for about 15 minutes - long enough for you to save all work and shut the computer down. You can find a UPS at most office supply computer stores. Make sure it is UL-1 778 listed, and be aware that you cannot use a UPS to power a printer or copier.

To report an outage:
Call: 245-7000, or e-mail: pcc@ci.redding.ca.us