Portland General Electric has your guide for action when the power goes out:
First step: Report the outage
When your lights go out, let us know as soon as possible. If you speak with a customer service representative, it’s helpful if you can provide any of the following information:
- Are your lights dim or out?
- Did you check your fuse or breaker box for blown fuses or tripped circuits?
- Are your neighbors’ lights out?
- Is a power line down?
- Did a tree limb fall on a power line?
- Is there any damage to the utility pole?
- Are the streetlights out?
- Did you hear a noise?
We offer four convenient methods to report an outage:
- Phone: Call 503-464-7777 (Portland) or 800-544-1795 to report a power outage or downed line through our automated system. You can also request a call back when power is restored. Please call only once to allow other callers to get through.
- Online: Go to PortlandGeneral.com/Outage to report a power outage or to get an update. You can also view a map and list of current outages by ZIP code.
- Mobile: If you visit PortlandGeneral.com on your smart phone, you’ll see a page, optimized for viewing on your phone, with quick links to report an outage, get an update or see a summary of outages.
- Text: If you primarily conduct business on a single PGE account, then you may want to register your mobile phone for texting options with PGE. This allows you to report a power outage and get updates by text.
You can also follow us on Twitter (@PortlandGeneral) for major outage updates.
Next steps for your home
- Turn off all electrical equipment, including your water heater, electric furnace or heaters, stove, washer and dryer, stereo and TV, to help prevent overloading the system when power is restored. (Major appliances can be turned off at the breaker box.) Do however, turn on a porch light and one inside light so you and PGE’s crews will know when service is restored.
- If you see any downed utility line, stay far back and call PGE: 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795. Keep children and pets away, too. A downed line doesn’t have to spark to be dangerous. And a wire can be dangerous even if you’re not touching it; water, metal, tree branches, concrete or other materials touching the wire can conduct electricity from a wire to you.
- For outage updates, visit PortlandGeneral.com on your smart phone to see a mobile-optimized page with quick links to get an update or summary of outages. For information on major storm outages, you can also listen to the radio or follow us @PortlandGeneral on Twitter via a mobile device.
- If your neighbor’s power comes back on but yours does not, call PGE again.
- If your lights are very dim or bright once power is restored, turn off the power at the breaker or fuse box and call PGE.
Next steps for your business
- Turn off electrical equipment, especially machinery with motors. This helps prevent possible power surge damage and avoids overloading the electrical system. Do not attempt to operate machinery if ventilation, safety or fire suppression systems are not working.
- If you see any downed utility line, stay far back and call PGE: 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795. A line doesn’t have to spark to be dangerous. And a wire can be dangerous even if you’re not touching it; water, metal, tree branches, concrete or other materials touching the wire can conduct electricity from a wire to you.
- Keep refrigerators and freezers closed to minimize food loss.
- For outage updates, visit PortlandGeneral.com on your smart phone to see a mobile-optimized page with quick links to get an update or summary of outages. For information on major storm outages, you can also listen to the radio or follow us @PortlandGeneral on Twitter via a mobile device.
- Call PGE again if power is restored to neighboring businesses but not yours.
- If your lights are very dim or bright once power is restored, or if some equipment doesn’t operate properly, turn off the power at the service panel and call PGE.
See a downed line? Don’t touch it!
- Call PGE immediately at 503-464-7777 in Portland, or 800-544-1795 to report any downed utility line.
- A line doesn’t have to spark to be dangerous. Assume that any downed line is live and dangerous - even lines that are insulated. Stay away from any downed or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near a power line, such as a tree, tree limb or car. Wires do not have to be directly touched to be dangerous. Water, metal, tree branches, concrete or other materials touching the wire can conduct electricity from a wire to you. Here’s the best idea: Stay inside until the storm is over and service is restored. Keep children and pets inside, too.
- If a utility line is touching a person, stay back and call 911. Do not touch them or you could get hurt.
- If a wire falls on your car, stay in the vehicle until help arrives and power is cut off. You are safe as long as you remain inside; the rubber tires act as an insulator. If you try to get out and you touch the ground and electrified car at the same time, you will complete the circuit to ground for the electricity, and you could be electrocuted. If you have to get out of the vehicle due to a fire, jump clear of the car with both feet together, and make sure you don’t touch the car when you touch the ground. Then, keeping your feet together at all times, shuffle or hop far away from the vehicle and power line.
More information
Outage Map - shows outages in the PGE service area.
Outage List - current outages, by county.
More resources and advice - including:
- Find a dependable electrical contractor
- Tips on food storage and cooking during an outage
- Special instructions for life-support patients
- Surge protection for your home electronics
- Surge and power backup devices for business
