Outages can be caused by many things, but usually happen in the stormy fall and winter months when hazardous weather can down power lines, or cause traffic accidents that can do the same. Luckily, outages are relatively rare at SUB and tend to last minutes or hours, not days. Still, being prepared for being without for longer is always advisable.

What to do during an outage:

• If your power is disrupted, follow these steps to protect you and your appliances when the electricity comes back on:
• Check your fuse box or breaker panel to see if the problem is with your circuits. If it's not, call SUB at 746-8451, any time of the day or night, and report the outage.
• Turn off your heat source (furnace, baseboard heaters) and shut off your water heater at the breaker panel. Turn off your VCR, TV, microwave, personal computer and other major appliances or electronics so that SUB's distribution circuits don't overload when the power comes back on.
• If lightning is causing the outage, consider unplugging your electronic equipment from the wall to avoid surges through the outlets.
• Turn a light on so you'll know when the power is back on. Turn a porch light on so SUB's crews will know when your power has been restored.
• Do not use a portable generator unless your household circuits are separated from SUB's lines with a protective switch. This modification to your equipment must be permitted and inspected through the City of Springfield. The sudden energizing of an outside line can hurt linemen working to repair your service.
• Do not go near downed lines, even if they appear dead. They can become energized again without warning. Do not get out of your car if a downed wire is touching it. Your car will isolate you from harm.

How To Check Your Breaker Panel
If you need to shut off the main power in your house due to an emergency, or if you want to see if an outage affects only your circuits, check your service panel. Most panels have a main switch to cut all the power off. If you have an emergency and don't have a main switch, turn all of the circuit breakers off. If you're shutting off the power to work on an appliance or the wiring, post a sign that says, "Leave power off" so no one will turn it on by mistake.

How to prepare for an outage
Be prepared for power outages with an emergency power outage kit, and keep it close at hand so it's easy to find in the dark. Make sure your kit includes:

• Flashlights (preferably two or more) with fresh batteries. Check the batteries every six months. Keep a flashlight in your car so you will have light if you are entering your home after dark.
• Long-burning candles and candle holders (please make sure you have a working fire extinguisher in your home).
• Matches, both book matches and longer wooden matches.
• Battery-powered radio; wind-up or battery-powered clock.
• Spare batteries for all emergency equipment (flashlights, radio and clock).
• A two-day supply of water and either freeze-dried or canned foods (and, of course, a hand-operated can opener).
• A spare first aid kit near your power outage kit, or include first aid materials inside.
• A phone that doesn’t rely on electricity. If your primary telephone is a cordless phone or a phone powered through an answering machine, it won’t work during an outage, but a phone that plugs directly into a phone jack often will and can keep you in contact with the outside world during an emergency.

How power is restored
After a major outage, SUB follows a systematic, efficient process to restore power. While making repairs, SUB is also busy rerouting power along undamaged circuits to bring power back to customers as quickly as possible.

Here is the basic process utilities, including SUB, follow during power outages:

• Emergency and Essential Services - Efforts to restore power to agencies that protect the health and safety of the public clearly need to be a priority. These include hospitals, police departments, fire departments, water treatment facilities and pumping stations.
• High-voltage transmission lines - Transmission lines carry high voltage electricity from the generation sources to SUB’s substations. If there is a problem with a transmission line, it must be repaired before other repairs can be made.
• Substations and Distribution Lines - Substations reduce the high-voltage power from the transmission lines so that it can be carried on distribution lines that serve neighborhoods and commercial areas. Repairing damage to these components is the next necessary step in the power restoration process.
• Tap Lines - Repairs are then made to tap lines that supply small groups of homes and businesses and finally service lines that bring power to individual homes and businesses. This is the most time consuming part of the restoration process.

After a power outage, if you notice that your neighbor's power is back on and yours is not, call SUB at 746-8451. There may be a problem with your individual service line.

Along with the occasional power outage, you may notice other power-related problems at your home, such as outages that last only a few seconds, flickering lights, or appliances that don’t get as hot or bright as they should. If you experience these symptoms, contact SUB at 726-2395.

Momentary outages
If your digital clocks are flashing 12:00 or if your lights blink or go out for a few seconds, a momentary outage has occurred. Momentary outages are usually caused by some type of interference on the power line itself, such as an animal or tree branch coming in contact with it. When this occurs, equipment on the line and at the substation (similar to your home's fuses or breakers) operate to quickly clear the problem and restore power. While momentary interruptions can be inconvenient, in the majority of cases these devices prevent longer outages. If a more serious issue on the power line is identified, SUB's equipment acts to isolate the problem so crews can resolve it and restore power.


Low voltage situations
If your lights dim, but don't go all the way off, you're experiencing a low-voltage situation or "brownout." Most of the electric appliances you have in your home are controlled by electronic components that are sensitive to these kinds of power fluctuations. Turn off refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, VCR's, televisions, air conditioners, heat pumps, home computers, and other electric equipment until your lights are fully lit again. Surge protectors are good investments and can help protect against these situations, but you’ll want to be sure you are buying the right kind to protect your equipment.

Surge Protectors
Because so many power disturbances are outside of SUB's control, SUB cannot be held responsible for equipment damaged by power surges. Customers must protect their own belongings by purchasing and installing surge protectors for their home appliances and electronics.

When purchasing your surge protectors, look for these features:

• UL (Underwriters Laboratories) label: Make sure the product and product packaging clearly states "UL Listed Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor." UL evaluates surge suppressors for fire, electric shock, and personal injury hazards.

• Clamping voltage: This tells you how much excess voltage is prevented from passing through electronic equipment. A low clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating - 330 V, 400 V, and 500 V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400V is too high.

• Energy absorption/dissipation: This rating in Joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. For better protection, look for a rating of 600 joules or more.

• Response time: Surge protectors don't kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to the power surge. A longer response time tells you that your computer (or other equipment) will be exposed to the surge for a greater amount of time. Look for a surge protector that responds in less than one nanosecond.

You can also call SUB’s Conservation Connection at 744-3782 for more information about brands that have these features and where to buy them.

Home Wiring Problems
Your home wiring is probably inadequate if some of the following things are happening around your house:

• Fuses frequently blow or circuit breakers often trip.
• Lights are unusually bright or unusually dim.
• Toasters or irons don't get as hot as they should.
• Your television picture shrinks when appliances are turned on.
• Extension cords trip people up because there aren't enough outlets.
• Inadequate wiring can damage your appliances and increase the risk of fire.

Check with a qualified electrician, or call one of SUB's electrical engineers at 726-2395. Note that SUB cannot recommend an electrician.