----3/26/2010----

LINCOLN - With the approach of potential severe, spring weather, residents are reminded to keep information handy about how to contact Lincoln Electric System (LES) in the event of an outage, said Energy Delivery Vice President Dan Pudenz.

"While the reliability of electric service is very high in Lincoln, severe weather remains a key factor in most outages," he said. "Obviously, there's little we can do to prevent outages caused by adverse weather conditions, and customers should be prepared in the event an outage occurs in their neighborhood."

Pudenz said when outages occur customers need to call the LES PowerLine at 888-365-2412.

"Our automated system immediately sends a customer's report to our dispatchers who respond quickly to send repair crews into the area to locate the cause of the outage," he said. "Perhaps some customers prefer to talk to a person, but because PowerLine can handle up to 1,600 calls a minute we're able to provide better service, and it allows us to be more responsive and it is far more efficient."

PowerLine receives the caller's phone number and then identifies the address as listed in its database, he said. If a customer's phone number is not listed in the database, they will then be prompted to enter that information. Subsequent calls to PowerLine will then automatically identify the affected address, he said.

Customers also may register their phone number using the online form at les.com by clicking the tab "Report Outages."

Customers also can leave a message on PowerLine, and dispatchers will promptly address their situation, he said.

Pudenz advised that if there is life-threatening emergency, customers should call 911. Before calling LES, customers can check to be sure power is out throughout their home. If an area has power, then they can look at their circuit box to see if the outage is related to a blown fuse or circuit breaker.

Pudenz offered the following tips to customers during outages:

• Assume a downed wire is energized, as well as anything it touches. Do not attempt to move a downed line.
• Keep a flashlight handy and have fresh batteries nearby.
• A portable or cordless phone relies on electricity to operate. Have one phone at home that does not need electricity to make calls.
• Turn off appliances and other electrical or electronic equipment to avoid a high demand of energy when electricity is restored.
• Keep other necessities on hand such as a manual can opener or a wind-up or battery-operated clock.
• Know how to open your garage door manually.

Outages in 2009 were the second lowest in history with an average of 16.3 minutes per customer, Pudenz said. Mother Nature was the source of 56 percent of all outages last year, and electric service was recorded at 99.9969 percent reliable. The most significant reason for the low average outage time, he said, was because there were no major storms in 2009.