HOW TO REPORT A POWER OUTAGE OR GAS EMERGENCY

PECO PHONE HOTLINE 1-800-841-4141

Online reporting: Use this link to the PECO web page 

Additional Information from PECO forwarded to us by Dan Bernheim

As the region continues to prepare for the winter storm forecasted to move through our region Friday evening into Saturday, we wanted to provide additional opportunities for your constituents to stay informed.

We recently launched an innovative new suite of enhanced online and mobile tools to keep our customers better informed. We encourage you to share this information with your constituents through your website, newsletters and social media channels.

Customers should visit peco.com/alerts and choose how they would like to receive information. Customers can choose to receive information via text, email or phone, including when power is out in their area, when service is expected to be restored, or when power is restored.

We also have a new two-way texting program. By texting “ADDOUTAGE” to MYPECO (697376), customers can enroll in the program, report outages and check the status of their outage through text.

And, our new mobile website (PECO Smart Mobile On-the-Go) provides customers with the ability to easily report an outage with their account number or phone number, and also provides access to our enhanced outage map.

Finally, our new online interactive outage map also gives customers more information. Visit peco.com/outagemap or by clicking on the “Outage Map” link in the “Outage Center” section of peco.com. Customers can also report outages directly from the map by clicking on “Report Outage”. Of course, customers can still report their outage by calling PECO directly at 1-800-841-4141.

We continue to closely monitor the weather conditions and are ready for any potential impact. Nearly 3,000 PECO employees and contractors are standing by to respond to customer needs and repair potential storm damage. This includes all of PECO’s 2,400 employees, local contractors and assistance from our sister utility ComEd in Chicago.

As we weather this winter storm together, we thank you for your partnership and support. Please stay safe.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers to the questions below have been extracted from discussions with PECO representatives, and from information found on the PECO web site. They summarize the most common questions residents have raised to PVCA.  The PECO web site contains expansiveinformation on the power outage reporting and repair process, and we recommend anyone with additional questions consult this reference as a starting point for more information

Q1. I have reported a power outage and was given an estimated time of completion for the repair, but now the time has been moved back? What is going on?

A1. When a crew comes to make a repair, they may encounter a situation that requires more time than initially estimated. Alternatively, after one repair is made, another faulty point in the distribution network is identified, adding time to get service restored.

Q2. Our power is out, and my neighbor called. Why is it taking so long to get power restored?

A2. PECO prioritizes repairs by the number of customers affected. If only one person in a neighborhood calls about an outage, it may appear as if only one house is affected. A clearer understanding of the scope of the outage can be gained if all affected resident call PECO.  Also, from outage patterns, PECO can trace likely places where the failure has occurred, expediting repairs. In summary, ALWAYS call if you experience an outage.

Q3. Why do I have wires down in my yard after PECO restored my power?

A3. The electrical service wires are the highest wires on the pole. Lower wires are placed by communications companies, such as Comcast or Verizon.  These providers need to be informed of the problem, as communications between companies is not always effective.

Q4. I have a cracked pole. Who do I contact?

A4. Each pole has a small dog tag on it to identify who is responsible for pole maintenance. This tag has a serial number proceeded by “PECO” or “Bell” (indicating which utility placed the pole). When reporting problems at a pole, you must report the street address of the pole, and the location (rear yard, curb). Including the information on the dog tag can help as well, but is not necessary.

Q5. PECO trimmed my trees and they are a mess! Why do they cut back so harshly?

A5. A major pruning by PECO occurs on a rotating basis every five years. Because PECO only does major work every five years, they are more aggressive than if they pruned a little every year. In cases where a particular line which is not currently scheduled for maintenance begins to show an unacceptable number of tree-related outages, it will be maintained sooner.

Q6. Can I prune the trees and vines near the wires myself?

A6. Pruning around power lines should only be attempted by trained professionals. Serious injuries and even fatalities have occurred when untrained individuals do this work without the assistance of a qualified professional. Please contact PECO for an evaluation of the trees and vegetation around power lines prior to any removals.

Q7. Why am I the only one with power out? PECO says it is not their problem.

A7. The homeowner is responsible for the line that brings electric service from the pole to the home. If this line is damaged or downed, you need to seek help from a qualified electrician to restore service. Never touch or approach a downed wire!