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Safety »
Winter Storm Preparedness and Safety Reminders
Winter Storm Preparedness and Safety Reminders
With below freezing temperatures, snow and possibly wind in the forecast there is the potential for weather-related power outages. KEC has its crews on call 24 hours a day and ready to be dispatched throughout our service territory. The following are a few reminders and safety tips for winter storms. For Cold Weather: - Do not sit in an idling car in the garage to get warm. Never use a camp stove or charcoal grill indoors to generate heat.
- Consider opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer room air to circulate around the plumbing.
- Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat in your home set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.
Power Outage Safety: - Stay away from power lines on the ground. Always assume downed lines are energized even if the lines are sagging or broken. Call KEC at 1.877.744.1055 right away to report them.
- Do not attempt to remove trees or limbs from lines.
- In the case of large outages in rural/limited access areas where snow removal has not been consistent, members should be prepared for lengthy outages.
- When shoveling snow off the roof – look up and be sure there are no power lines above you.
- If you are able, keep your driveway plowed to help our crews have better access.
- Unplug electronic equipment such as TVs, computers and microwaves.
- Turn off all appliances that were on when the power went out.
- Leave an outside light on so repair crews will know when power is back on.
- Have a battery-operated radio or TV. In the case of large outages, KEC notifies the media of the status of the outage.
- Have a cell phone or inexpensive, basic phone available to make and receive calls during an outage. Many phone models do not work without power.
- Generators can cause a serious safety problem if improperly installed and could cause injury to utility workers and the general public. All backup generator installations must have a transfer switch installed in accordance with the requirements of the National Electric Code. Call the KEC office at 208.765.1200 for more information.
If a power outage does occur, please call the KEC outage line at 1.877.744.1055. Our outage management system tracks calls based on caller id. When calling in power outages KEC members should call from the phone number KEC has in its system to identify the location. If you aren’t sure which number we have in our system for you please call our office at 208.765.1200.
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