When the power goes out, OPPD activates crews to restore service as quickly and as safely as possible. However, if your home service connection is damaged, there are a few things you should know:
- Treat every downed power line as a live wire. Stay away from it.
- OPPD will restring a downed line or string a new line as long as there is a clear corridor of air space from the power pole to the point where the wires attach to the house. OPPD crews will untangle lines from fallen trees in most cases, but they will not remove the trees. If a fallen tree has branches creating an obstruction in that air-space corridor, the homeowner should have those branches removed.
- If electrical lines have been torn from your house, or the electric meter or power pole mast attached to your home has been damaged, contact a private electrician to make the repairs. Meter sockets and power masts attached to a house are the responsibility of the homeowner. OPPD is responsible for the wires from the power pole to the point just before they enter a house's conduit system. OPPD crews may be able to make temporary repairs to restore electricity in some cases, but permanent repairs must be completed by an electrician.
- Contact OPPD at 1-800-554-6773 as soon as a private electrician has made the needed repairs or the branches have been trimmed.
