Why Planned Outages are Necessary
From maintaining and upgrading the electrical grid to ensuring reliability and safety, each planned outage serves a purpose in enhancing the experience we give to our customers.
Do you know that some power outages are planned? Find out why Duquesne Light Company (DLC) often schedules outages and how they can benefit you and your community in the long run.
The Basics
Planned power outages are scheduled blackouts that normally impact a small group of customers and last for eight hours or less. Those affected are notified of the outage ahead of time by a doorhanger, email, text message or phone call, giving them ample time to prepare.
Maintenance, minor improvements and large projects are the main reasons power outages are scheduled. These measures allow DLC to safely replace damaged or aging equipment and upgrade the system to increase electric reliability and support future growth.
Emergency Outages
Planned shut offs can also be necessary in more severe situations. Severe weather, accidents and other unexpected circumstances can damage transmission lines, substations or other parts of the electrical grid. If power continues to flow through these damaged systems, consequences could include uncontrolled future power failures to an even more widespread area of customers.
These situations can be worsened by increased electric demand. For example, high heat significantly increases air conditioning use. An already compromised electrical system may not be able to supply enough power to meet that demand.
By shutting off the power in a controlled and planned manner for a set number of customers, additional damage can be prevented to ensure that customers continue receiving reliable service in the future.
Prepare and Stay Safe
You should always have a plan in place for unexpected outages but knowing that one is scheduled allows you to prepare ahead of time.
Charge your phones, unplug sensitive electronics and refresh batteries in your flashlights and flameless candles. Be prepared to manually operate garage doors or any locks that run on electricity. If you or any of your family members rely on medical equipment that uses electricity, have a plan to continue using it during the outage or move to a location that will have power. It is also recommended to have emergency contact information ready if needed.
Once the power is out, avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. Food will stay frozen in full freezers for 36 to 48 hours if the door remains closed. You should also have fresh water on hand.
Power outages can be inconvenient, but sometimes they are necessary to maintain safe and reliable power. To make sure you receive up-to-date communications from DLC, be sure to update your phone number and email address in your online account.