Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Great Lakes Energy know which members are without power during a major storm?

A: Not necessarily. That's why customers should call GLE at 1-800-678-0411 to report an outage. This helps us analyze the problem and restore power more rapidly.

Q: What happens after a member reports an outage?

A: Each call will have a work order generated. The orders are sent to our outage management system for analysis to determine the most likely cause of the outage. Orders are then dispatched to troubleshooters who go to the locations of the outages to assess the problem. If the troubleshooters cannot repair the problem, then a line crew will be called out to make repairs.

Q: How does GLE decide whose power is restored first?

A: During storm restoration, priority is given to facilities that are essential to the health and welfare of the community. They include hospitals and other health care providers, police and fire departments and the news media.

Q: I'm on the priority list because of a medical condition. Why isn't my power restored instantly?

A: Unfortunately, Mother Nature probably won't ever allow us to guarantee your electric service. Things beyond our control, like ice storms, will always tear down power lines and disrupt the flow of electricity.

That's why members who depend on electrical equipment for a medical necessity should always have alternate plans in place in case the power goes out for an extended amount of time. It just makes good sense.

And even though we give these accounts priority, we still must repair the damage to the backbone of our electric system before we can turn attention to individual priority accounts.

Q: After the priority customers are restored, how does GLE decide whose power to restore next and in what order?

A: Our strategy is to do whatever it takes to bring the most customers' power back on the fastest. If we have a choice of sending crews to do work that will restore power to 1,000 customers or send them to do work that will restore 10, the decision is simple, we work the 1,000 first.

Q: Why is it difficult for GLE to say how long it will take to get power restored?

A: Weather conditions, accessibility to damaged areas, the time of day, safety and environmental issues are among the many factors that determine the amount of time it takes to restore power. Following large storms, these and many other factors can affect the restoration process, which greatly complicates our ability to predict restoration times.

Q: Why does my neighbor have power and I don't?

A: There may be damage to the service wires leading only to your home. These would not affect your neighbor's electric supply.

Your neighbor's home may be served by a different circuit or feed than your home, even though you're right next door. The homes and businesses on our system are not connected in series like the dot-to-dot game you played as a child; rather they are connected more like a spider web.

There may also be as many as three different "hot lines" (phases) on the pole in front of your home. Your neighbor may get service from a different "hot line" than you. A problem down the street that's served by the same phase as your home could be keeping the power off for all homes attached to that particular "hot line".

Q: A truck just drove right by my house and didn't stop to restore my electricity. How come?

A: The crew you saw was probably working on getting the backbone of the electric system repaired. Our first priority in a catastrophic outage is to get the main circuits (or trunk lines) back in operation.

Not every wire out on the street is considered a main circuit. There are thousands of lines that feed off of main circuits (these feeder wires are also called "taps"). So after the main trunks are "back hot," we start repairing taps.

After trunk lines are functioning, we make repairs that affect the most people at one time. This means repairs that affect only one or two locations will probably be last.

Q: I have underground wires to my house. Why did my power go off?

A: Even though the wires in your subdivision or from the street to your home are buried, overhead wires bring electricity to those underground wires from the substation. The distance from the substation to your subdivision could be miles.

As new homes are built, it is reasonably economical to bury the wires that serve them. But it would cost millions and millions of dollars to tear down our existing overhead lines and then re-install them underground.

Even though your power was out, your underground wiring probably still helped you avoid problems. You don't have to worry about repairing the service wire to your home as many members did.

Q: Why do my clocks blink sometimes during high winds?

A: "Blinks" are split-second interruptions in service. While they may be annoying, they serve an important purpose. For example, when a tree limb falls on a wire, automatic sensing equipment detects a potentially dangerous condition and temporarily breaks the circuit for a split-second. This very brief break in the flow of electricity protects essential parts of the electric delivery system from major damage, and actually helps prevent outages. They are a normal part of power delivery systems. They used to go unnoticed, but today's sophisticated computers and other electronic equipment are sensitive and can be affected by a momentary interruption that lasts only a fraction of a second.

Q: What safety precautions should be followed when using a portable generator during an outage?

A: Improper use of portable generators can be dangerous and even deadly. That's why it's important to observe the manufacturer's instructions for proper usage of the generator. Two primary hazards associated with portable generators are carbon monoxide poisoning from the engine exhaust and electrocution from connecting the generator to the home electrical wiring system. Portable generators should never be used indoors or in attached garages. If connecting the generator to house wiring, install a transfer switch using National Electrical Code requirements. This switch will transfer the load of the household power source that is normally supplied by GLE over to the portable generator. This prevents the inadvertent energizing of circuits and reduces the possibility of electrocution resulting from contact with the lines presumed to be de-energized. Individual appliances should be plugged into the generator using heavy duty, outdoor-rated cords with a wire gauge adequate for the appliance load. It is also important to select the appropriate generator for your needs. Determine how many appliances are going to run at the same time and select a generator based on the total wattage that will be used.