No one likes the power to go out, but knowing what to do can make a big difference in how soon your power is restored.
Consumers Energy Cooperative is committed to providing reliable service, but not all outages can be avoided. Weather, animals, accidents, and service interruptions from our power supplier can all cause power outages.
If an outage occurs, please do the following:
- Check to determine if power is lost to your entire home or farmstead.
- Check fuses and circuit breakers which may include both the meter pole panel and the panel located inside your home.
- To help determine the extent of the problem, check with neighbors to see if they have electricity. This will help our crews know if it is just your service or if it is multiple services.
- Turn off major appliances to protect them from any high or low voltage conditions and to decrease the load when lines are re-energized.
- Leave a light or lamp on so you'll know when service has been restored.
- Leave doors closed on refrigerators and freezers as much as possible during outages. Food will keep much longer if the doors are left closed.
- If you cannot restore power by resetting circuit breakers, call Consumers Energy at 800-696-6552 or 641-752-1593 to report the outage. Our phones are answered 24/7, and crews are on call to respond.
- Once notified, our operations team will determine where the problem is.
Reporting a Power Outage
To report a power outage, call 800-696-6552 or 641-752-1593 and have as much of the following information available as possible.
- Your phone number
- The name the electric service is listed under
- The service address or account number where the outage has occurred
Please keep in mind that during a large spread outage, phone lines may be busier than normal. Be patient and remain on the line or keep calling until you are able to get through.
Until power is restored:
- Stay away from fallen trees or downed power lines. Avoid driving down roads or streets with fallen trees or downed power lines.
- Disconnect TVs, computers, and all electronic equipment to prevent damage when power is restored.
- Above all, stay inside and remain patient. Consumers Energy crews are working hard to get your power restored as quickly and as safely as possible. For updates, check the website or call the co-op.
For information on how to prepare in the event of an outage, visit our Outage Safety - What To Do In An Outage page.
