Power Outage Safety Tips
Take practical steps to keep you and your loved ones safe during a power outage
- Report the outage to your energy provider.
- Stay away from all downed lines or sparking equipment, and keep children and pets away from fallen lines and anything the lines may touch.
- Never remove debris that’s within 10 feet of a power line.
- Unplug major appliances to protect them when power comes back on.
- Leave a light turned on so you know when power is restored.
- Refuel heaters, lamps, and generators outside, and stay away from any flames or sparks. Wipe up fuel spills immediately.
- Notify electrical crews working in your area if you’re using a generator – this protects you and our line workers as they work to restore power.
- Never operate lanterns, heaters, or fuel-fired stoves without proper ventilation.
- Never burn charcoal indoors. It releases poisonous carbon monoxide.
- Do not let children carry candles or oil lamps.
Be Aware of Safety Hazard Conditions
A safety hazard is a condition that poses an immediate risk to the public, and can
include:
- Downed wires that may be sparking or near water
- Downed poles
- Trees that have fallen on power lines
- Never go near or touch a downed power line. Report it immediately to local authorities.
REPORT downed lines to 911 or AEP at 866-223-8508
Resources from AEP:
- SIGN UP for Outage Alerts and get estimated restoration times and details for your address.
- For safety hazards and other customer service needs, call our Customer Operations Center at 1-877-373-4858.
- VIEW outages and problems in your area.
- Resources for Oil and Gas customers.
- Start, Stop or Reconnect Service