PRESS RELEASE
XCEL ENERGY
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This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Colorado, and as if on cue, the early part of this week brings a Winter Storm Warning for mountain communities and high winds across the state. Xcel Energy reminds customers to prepare for severe weather and wants them to know the company is prepared to respond when outages happen.
Before severe weather strikes, there are some simple things customers can do to stay safe when snow, hail, flood warnings, tornados or high winds arrive.
Stay informed – Sign up for outage notifications
If outages occur, it’s important for customers to have access to the most recent updates about their power restoration. Customers can sign up for outage notifications through the My Account feature on the Xcel Energy website. Additionally, the website hosts an outage map that displays information on the number of customers out and anticipated time for restoration. Customers can also stay informed by following Xcel Energy on Facebook and Twitter.
Report your outage.
Customers can help Xcel Energy get a jump on power restoration by reporting outages. Customers have a number of ways to report their outage.
- Online at xcelenergy.com/out
- Via text by texting ‘OUT’ to 98936 to report an outage, or text STAT to the same number to check the status of a power outage.
- Call 1-800-895-1999 and follow the prompts—the automated phone reporting system lets customers report outages in less than 60 seconds. Once the cause of the problem is identified, the system or an Xcel Energy representative will provide customers with an estimated restoration time.
Xcel Energy is prepared
Xcel Energy has a strong track record for fast restoration during weather-related outages, and one reason for that is the preparation done in advance. Crews and equipment are available at service centers throughout the metro area and throughout Colorado to quickly and safely restore electric service.
“During an outage our priority is to restore power to our customers as quickly and safely as possible,” said Troy Browen, director, control centers and trouble operations, Xcel Energy. “We strategically place our crews and partners so they are ready to respond if severe weather hits. In addition to preparing our crews, we strongly encourage our customers to prepare so they remain safe during severe weather.”
Other ways customers can prepare, stay safe
- Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume an electric line, even one that is on or near the ground, is energized and therefore dangerous. Never, under any circumstance, touch or move a downed power line. If you come across a downed power line, leave the area and report it immediately by calling 1-800-895-1999.
- Build a home emergency kit. Xcel Energy recommends assembling an easily accessible kit that you can rely on in the event of a power outage. Useful items may include:
- Xcel Energy phone numbers - 1-800-895-1999 for residential or 1-800-481-4700 for business
- Battery-powered radio or television
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Back up phone chargers
- Bottled water and nonperishable food
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Extension cords (for partial outages)
- Manufacturer's instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors (e.g., garage doors)
- Observe food safety. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food safety is directly related to the temperature of the food. To maintain refrigerator and freezer temperatures, keep doors closed as much as possible. A full freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for approximately two days and a half-full freezer approximately one day. Visit the USDA website for more information.
For more information, visit www.xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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