OUC's electric distribution system works much like the human circulatory system. Just as blood flows from your heart by way of arteries through shoulders and arms to get to your fingers, electricity does much the same to get to your home. View the list below to see how the process works.
1. Electricity flows from a power plant through high-voltage transmission lines.
2. At substations, transformers reduce voltage and re-route electricity to main feeder lines, or circuits, that take power into the community. Each feeder line is protected by a circuit breaker.
3. Lateral lines connected to main feeder lines route electricity through smaller areas like neighborhoods and subdivisions.
4. Nearing the end of the line, transformers on individual poles reduce voltage and distribute electricity to homes and businesses. Typically, one transformer services about four homes.
5. The electric connection at your house is the last stop for electricity.
To restore service in an orderly and safe fashion, OUC:
After the storm has passed, be sure to let OUC know about your outage:
After a storm, there are several reasons you might not have power while your neighbor does:
After a storm, check the weatherhead connection on your home for damage.
The weatherhead is where the electric lines meet the electric meter at the side of your home. The customer is responsible for devices like the weatherhead for overhead services, the buried conduit for underground services, and the meter base.
You may need to call a licensed electrician to make repairs to these devices before OUC can restore power. OUC is responsible only for repairing the service line and electric meter.
For help finding a licensed electrician, visit OUC's Preferred Contractor Network.