Outage FAQ - General Questions

What is a supplier outage?

Some situations can arise causing SVEC to lose service from the supplier of its electricity. When this occurs in your area, SVEC consumers lose service because the electricity supplied to the Cooperative’s lines is interrupted at its source. Although not a direct result of damage to SVEC’s lines, this situation still causes an outage. SVEC works closely with the supplier of its power to minimize these occurrences.

If power goes out, do I need to throw out all the food in my refrigerator and freezer?

To minimize the loss of food during a power outage, limit the number of times you open your refrigerator or freezer door. If the doors remain closed, refrigerated food can remain safely cold for about four hours; frozen food can remain safe for up to two days if the freezer is full and the doors remain closed. Learn more about food safety in a power outage by viewing the American Red Cross Food Safety web page.

What should I do if a power line falls in my yard?

Consider all fallen wires to be energized, regardless of whether or not they appear to be safe. Report the fallen power line to your cooperative immediately at (800) 234-7832. Make sure your children, pets, and neighbors stay away from the power line and any objects it may be touching.