TIPS FOR RESIDENTS IN THE EVENT OF A POWER OUTAGE

If power goes off

• Open the refrigerator only when necessary.
• Keep blinds closed during the day to keep the house cooler, or keep them open if you want the house warmer.
• Conserve hot water.
• If the weather is pleasant, you may wish to open windows.
• Turn off or unplug electrical appliances and sensitive electronics, such as air conditioners, stoves, televisions and computers. This avoids the possibility of damage from a power surge.

• To report a downed power line, call 9-1-1. Consider all downed power lines LIVE!
• FPL knows when a power outage occurs. You need to report it only if:

  --your neighborhood is restored and you are still without power

  --your power comes on, but goes back off

  --you don't have power by the date announced for your area

• To report an outage, call 800-4-OUTAGE (800-468-8243). This automated system will record your outage. Have your account number available.
• Before you report an outage:

  --Check all circuit breakers or fuses to help determine if your service outage might be the result of a household problem.

  --Call a licensed electrician if you have significant water damage in your home that might make it unsafe for you to receive electricity.

  --Inspect the area outside your home near the meter. If the meter or any of the piping and wires on the wall of your home or office is gone or look damaged, call an electrician. You may need to make repairs to home wiring before FPL can reconnect your power. If no problems are apparent, FPL will re-connect your service or assist in determining whether you have a household problem.

When power is restored

• Check to ensure all appliances are plugged back in and turned off.
• Reset your clocks, VCRs and other electronic devices, such as a security alarm system.

Post-Storm Clean-up

• Safety should always be your first priority when pruning.
• Look up to ensure that you are not working near a power line.
• Be especially careful when working with a ladder, scaffold, pole or tree in your yard.
• Do not attempt to remove or trim foliage within 10 feet of a power line.
• If a tree or tree limbs have fallen on a power line or pulled it down, do not attempt to get close to the line or the tree.
• If the line is sparking or if the situation presents a clear and imminent danger to you or others, call 911 or FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE and report it as an emergency.

• To report a gas leak, call 9-1-1.
• During and after severe storms, TECO Energy/Peoples Gas crews are available to respond to natural gas emergencies. For 24-hour service, call 1-877-832-6747.
• If you evacuate your home or business, DO NOT turn off the gas supply at the main meter. Only emergency or utility personnel should turn the valve on or off. If you choose to do so, you can turn off the gas for individual appliances at the appliance valve near each unit.
• If you are having difficulty relighting pilot lights, or if gas appliances have been exposed to flood waters, do not attempt to operate the appliance. Contact your plumber, or a qualified appliance service contractor or your gas company, so they may assist you in locating a qualified appliance service contractor for a safety inspection.

Before the Storm

• Check all appliances to ensure they are in good working condition.
• Secure all loose materials in the yard that could be blown around and damage the natural gas meter set.
• It is not necessary to turn off gas service. If you are not required to evacuate your home or business, your natural gas service should operate uninterrupted throughout the storm.

After the Storm

• Immediately evacuate to another location if you smell natural gas (odor of rotten eggs) or see a broken gas line. Ventilate the area by opening windows or leaving a door open.
• Immediately call the gas company from a telephone outside of the home or building. If you are unable to contact your gas company, call 9-1-1.
• Do not light any matches, turn on any light switches, or use the telephone. Any of these actions could ignite gas that may have accumulated.
• Do not cover a natural gas vent with tarps or other coverings. When protecting damaged roofs, be sure to allow air to flow through the natural gas vent. Blocking the vent can create a potential hazard of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If a natural gas system or natural gas venting is damaged, contact a plumber or qualified service contractor for natural gas appliances. Peoples Gas can provide a referral through its Energy Advantage Partner program. Call 1-877-832-6747, option 4.
• If you have any questions or have any difficulty relighting the pilot lights on your appliances, call your plumber, qualified appliance service contractor or your gas company, so they may assist you in locating a qualified appliance service contractor.
• Before removing fallen trees, always call for the location of utility lines. Gas, electric, telephone, water, sewer and cable lines may be entangled in the root system of the fallen trees. Call 1-800-432-4770. The call and the location service are free.

Restoring Service

• In case of outages due to damaged lines, the gas company's primary responsibility is to make the affected area safe. After the area has been made safe, service to affected customers will be restored as soon as possible.
• Refrain from calling the gas company during these times, unless you smell gas. In that event, call the gas company immediately.
• Do call the gas company if you do not have gas service after the gas service has been restored in your area.
• Always ask for identification from service personnel before allowing them to enter your home.

TOP TIPS – Telephone (Bell South)

Before the Storm

• Make sure everyone in your family has the home, work and cell phone numbers of family members, friends and co-workers with whom you will want to speak directly.
• Program all emergency contact numbers into your cell phone.
• If you have a business, make sure your business is equipped with the proper telephone service to re-route or respond in the event of a service interruption.
• Ensure that your cordless and wireless phones all work properly and are charged; have extra batteries and car chargers available.
• For residents with access to the Internet, emergency information is posted on Bell South's web site: www.bellsouthcorp.com/emergency
• During a hurricane or other severe storm, BellSouth will update the site with status information on the BellSouth network.
• Have your local telephone directory or Yellow Pages on-hand. The front section provides hurricane preparedness information, helpful hints, telephone numbers to call for repair service, information for customers with disabilities and more.

During the Storm

• Use your phone for necessary calls only, leaving lines open for emergency calls.
• During a power outage, your phone line may be inoperable if your cordless phone, caller ID unit or other telephone equipment requires external power. Plug a non-electrical telephone directly into a phone jack to verify if you have service.
• As calling volumes increase, customers may experience a slow dial tone. If you don't hear a dial tone immediately when you pick up your phone, wait a few seconds and you should get one. If not, hang up and try your call later.

After the Storm

• Be patient! Expect delays in getting calls through because of the high demand for service after a storm. Keep trying.
• Continue to keep calls to a minimum to allow emergency calls to get through.
• If you have a question but cannot find the answer in your yellow pages telephone directory, call the number listed for residential or business services depending on your need. To request residential repair when calling:
  • From a BellSouth phone - dial 611
  • From wireless or non-BellSouth phone or outside of Florida - 1-800-432-1424.
  • In Spanish, from a BellSouth phone -1-888-707-2840
  • In Spanish, calling from wireless or non-BellSouth phone or outside of Florida -1-800-828-4652.
  • To request a business repair when calling:
  • From a BellSouth phone -866-620-6900
  • From wireless or non-BellSouth phone or outside of Florida – 1-800-252-0803