Blinking Lights FAQs

There are a few ways we respond to these issues. If we can tie the blinks to data pulled from our system, the blinks can likely be explained in short order, and the member will be contacted and informed. If we can’t explain the blinks from that approach, a crew can be dispatched to the location to check connections and verify our equipment is in proper working order. In these cases, we may find a loose connection at the transformer, the meter base, etc., and the issue is resolved.

We may go to the location and find that the problem is on the members’ side and advise them to contact an electrician (it may be a breaker issue, etc.) since we do not work past the meter base. In more extreme cases, if we have exhaustively patrolled the line and found nothing and the blinks keep happening, we can install fault indicators in the area to try to narrow down the culprit on the line.

If you have blinking lights sporadically, there is probably nothing to worry about, and it’s not worth reporting. If you see them regularly, please contact Member Services at 1-800-234-7832 and report the issue so that it can be further investigated. It’s subjective, of course, on what someone determines as sporadic versus regular.

Unless the outage is sustained, the event should not be reported as an outage. SVEC consistently receives outage tickets when it was merely a blink that was seen by the member. That can influence our overall operations, if crews are assigned to situations that don’t warrant an outage response.