Report an Outage – Call (503) 397-1844
Call (503) 397-1844 to report your outage. Your phone call helps us to determine the extent and location of outages so we can restore power quickly. When you call, please be prepared with the following information:
Your phone number
Your name
The location of the outage
A description of the problem
Note
If the power comes back on quickly and stays on, you don’t need to call us. This may be due to a momentary outage. These temporary service interruptions are intentional and protect customers and equipment when faults are detected.
Determining If Power is Out
When the lights go out, follow this step to determine whether you are experiencing a power outage:
Look at Your Electric Meter
Numbers In Display – Power is On
If there are numbers in the display and you see the “On” message, then you have power to your home, and you should check your breaker box or fuse panel for tripped breakers or blown fuses.
Numbers in Display – Power is Disconnected
If there are numbers in the display and you see the “Off” message, then your service has been disconnected and you should call our office at (503) 397-1844.
Blank Display – Power is Off
If there are no numbers in the display, the power is likely out. Please call our office at (503) 397-1844 to report the outage.
During an Outage
Leave A Porch Light On
This will let our repair crews know when your service has been restored. Leave a lamp on inside your home so you’ll know also.
Unplug Electronic Equipment
Unplug your electronic equipment, and turn off electric furnaces and water heaters at the breaker. This will help prevent overloading the system when the power is restored, which can cause secondary outages. When the power comes back on, turn items on at the breaker one at a time, in 30-minute intervals.
Turn off and unplug items such as:
DVD players and VCRs
Microwave Ovens
TV sets
Stereos
Refrigerators and freezers
Laundry machines
During Cold Weather Outages, Turn off Heating & Cooking Equipment
During cold weather outages, turn off all electric heaters, water heaters, and cooking equipment.
When power is restored, turn them back on one at a time, in 15-minute intervals. This step helps prevent overloading of the electric system when power is restored, which can cause more outages.
Keep Food
Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed.
- Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
Food will stay frozen for about 2 days in a full freezer; 1 day in a freezer that is less than half full.
- It helps to cover freezers with blankets and quilts.
- Keep the door closed and use dry ice to keep food frozen.
Buy dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period.
- 50 pounds of dry ice should keep an 18 cubic foot, fully-stocked freezer cold for 2 days.
- Wear gloves when handling dry ice, and place it on cardboard in the freezer rather than directly on food packages.
Food may be refrozen if it still contains some ice crystals. If in doubt, throw it out.
Use a thermometer in your refrigerator.
- Remember pork, poultry, fish, and ground meat spoil quickly at room temperature above 40 degrees.
- Other foods that spoil quickly include: custards, creamed foods, or any food containing mayonnaise.
FoodSafety.gov provides detailed instructions on keeping food safe during outages.
Stay Warm During Winter Outages
If the power goes out during cold weather, follow these guidelines to keep warm:
- Gather everyone in one room where there is an alternative heat source such as a wood stove.
- Dress in loose layers of clothing.
- If the temperature in your home drops below 55°F, open faucets slightly so they constantly drip to prevent water pipes from freezing.
- Never leave candles unattended. Keep them secure and away from small children and animals.
- Never use a gas range for room heating.
- Never use charcoal to heat or cook indoors.
- Never use gasoline or other flammable liquids to start a fire. Always keep a screen around a fireplace, and don’t close the damper while ashes are still hot.
- Remember, a fuel-burning heater, such as a kerosene heater, requires proper ventilation to prevent buildup of harmful fumes.
If You Have a Generator
If you have access to a generator, operate it safely. We recommend using a GenerLink transfer switch, which automatically disconnects your home from the power grid and connects it to your generator in an outage. Call (503) 397-8155 to speak with our Energy Experts for more information.
How We Restore Power
During outages, we prioritize repairs to protect public safety and to restore power to the largest number of customers as quickly as possible. Here are the steps we take:
1
Protect Public Safety
We address potentially life-threatening situations right away.
2
Repair Transmission Lines
These lines supply power to our substations. If a BPA transmission line or substation is damaged, their crews must repair it.
3
Repair Substations
Each substation serves thousands of customers.
4
Repair Distribution Lines
These lines carry power from the substations to every corner of our service area. When main distribution lines are re-energized, entire neighborhoods will have power restored.
5
Repair Service Lines
These lines deliver power to individual homes and businesses. In order for your home to have power the transmission line, substation, and distribution line that serve you must all be energized.
Outage Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Your call helps us determine the extent and location of the outage. Please call (503) 397-1844 to report outages.
We avoid giving outage restoration estimates. Many different factors influence the amount of time it takes to restore power, including weather conditions, accessibility to damaged power lines and safety issues. These factors make it difficult for us to accurately predict how long it may take to restore your power.
Probably not. If your lights blink off once or twice but then come back on, you don’t need to call us unless they are noticeably more dim when they come back on.
We know it can be frustrating and confusing to see that your neighbors have power when you don’t. There are several reasons this might happen:
- You may be on a different distribution line or transformer than your neighbors.
- There may be damage to your service line that must be repaired before your power is restored.
- There may be damage to the electrical wiring in your home that must be repaired before power is restored.
During storm restoration, our crews sometimes drive through our service area to patrol lines and assess damage, and to determine whether it is safe to restore power to customers.
Our electricity distribution system is protected by special devices called reclosers. When faults occur, reclosers de-energize the lines to protect customers and equipment.
Sometimes, faults are caused by falling tree limbs or other issues that resolve themselves. The reclosers will wait a few moments after de-energizing a line and then try to re-energize it. If the fault is cleared, the line will stay energized. If not, the reclosers will de-energize the line again.
When reclosers operate, you’ll see momentary interruptions in your power. If the power comes back on and stays on, you don’t need to call us. The reclosers have done their job.
Stay Safe Around Downed Lines
If you see a fallen power line, call us immediately at (503) 397-1844. Call 9-1-1 if it is a medical or life-threatening emergency.
Never touch a downed power line. Always assume all downed lines to be energized and contact us immediately. Stay at least 200 feet away.
Remember, if a power line is touching someone, stay away. If you attempt rescue, you could easily become a victim yourself. Call 9-1-1 for emergency help.
Always keep at least 200 feet away from any downed line. The ground around a power line may be energized as well, making it very dangerous.
Never touch trees or limbs that are touching power lines.
Never drive over a downed power line, or under a line that is sagging over the roadway.
Don’t touch cars, debris, or fallen branches that are near downed lines. Anything touching a power line is just as dangerous as the power line itself.
Downed Lines & Car Crashes
If a downed power line falls across your vehicle, stay in the vehicle.
Do not get out unless the vehicle is on fire!
If you must get out of the vehicle, try to do so without touching both the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
Jump from the vehicle, landing with your feet together on the ground.
Shuffle or hop from the vehicle until you are at least 50 feet away; if you walk or run, your legs may bridge current from areas of high and low voltage, resulting in electric shock.
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