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To report an outage, please call our 24-hour hotline: 1-866-430-4265

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Power Outage Tips

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  1. Outage Center
  2. Power Outage Tips

Power Outage Tips

How to Respond to an Outage

Check your circuit breakers. If they have tripped, reset them and see if the power comes back on. If resetting the breakers does not return power, call OTEC’s 24-hour outage hotline at 1-866-430-4264. OTEC crews are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. We take your need for electricity seriously.

 

Attention Life Support Customers

If you or someone in your home uses a life-support machine that relies directly on the power we provide, please contact OTEC’s Member Services at 541-523-3616 and make us aware of your requirements.

Additionally, because an unplanned outage is usually caused by an emergency situation, we urge you to have backup equipment available and to test it regularly. OTEC can make no guarantee as to the minimum length of an outage.

 

Outage Procedure Checklist

Place these guidelines on your bulletin board or by your telephone.

  • Call OTEC if you have a power outage. If the phone is busy, please keep trying to call OTEC’S 24-hour hotline at 1-866-430-4264.

  • In the event of a downed power line, stay away at least 50 feet and keep everyone as far away as you can. DO NOT attempt to move or touch it! Call OTEC or 911 immediately.

  • DO NOT plug a portable home electric generator into a wall outlet. Our servicemen could be injured OR KILLED by the backfeed of electricity through your home’s electrical system.

  • If it appears that the outage will be for an extended time, unplug your appliances or turn off the breaker at the circuit panel. Especially important are heat pumps, water heaters, freezers, furnace fans and refrigerators. After power is restored, turn them back on individually and spaced over 15-minute intervals.

  • If some of your lights appear to be dim when power is restored, please call OTEC at 1-866-430-4264.

 

Power Outage Supplies Kit

Make sure your home is equipped with a power outage kit. The kit should include the following items:

  • A flashlight, an oil or battery powered lamp or lantern, and extra batteries.

  • Candles and matches. Use candles on a flat, stable, non-flammable surface.

  • A battery powered radio.

  • Easily accessible emergency phone numbers for your utility, doctor, fire, and police.

  • A cell phone, or a telephone connected directly to the jack. Cordless phones and phones with answering machines rely on electricity to operate.

  • A first-aid kit and prescription medications. If the outage is caused by bad weather, realize that road travel may not be possible for several days.

  • Extra blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes. If you are without heat, close off one room to live in and wear extra layers of clothes.

  • Clean drinking water. Have at least one gallon of fresh water available for each person in your home per day.

  • A manual can opener and non-perishable food. A camp stove and fuel may be handy but be sure to use it outdoors.

  • A cooler for storing frequently used foods. Food will keep for several hours in a closed, full refrigerator and up to two days in a closed, full freezer.

  • Firewood, if you have a fireplace or woodstove.

  • Do not use gas appliances (such as gas-powered generators) for heating indoors if they are not designed to do so – carbon monoxide poisoning can occur when burning gas in enclosed spaces.

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Outage Center

Baker Office

4005 23rd St.

Baker City, OR 97814

541.523.3616

Burns Office

567 W. Pierce St.

Burns, OR 97720

541.573.2666

John Day Office

400 Patterson Bridge Road

John Day, OR 97845

541.575.0161

La Grande Office

2408 Cove Ave.

La Grande, OR 97850

541.963.3155

Office Hours

8 AM – 5 PM | Monday – Thursday

9 AM – 5 PM | Friday

Offices Closed Holidays for 2023

New Years – Monday, January 2nd (Observed)

President’s Day – Monday, February 20th

Memorial Day – Monday, May 29th

Independence Day – Tuesday, July 4th

Labor Day – Monday, September 4th

Veterans Day – Friday, November 10th (Observed)

Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 23rd & 24th

Christmas – Monday, December 25th

 

©2023 Oregon Trail Electric Co-op. All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Your Cooperative
      • History
      • What Is A Cooperative?
      • Where Your Power Comes From
    • About Touchstone Energy
    • Your Board of Directors
    • Annual Meeting & Board Elections
    • Bylaws, Tariffs and Rates
    • Careers
    • Newsletter
  • Members
    • Value of Membership
    • Apply for Membership/Service
    • Prepaid Metering Agreement
    • Bill Pay
    • Call 811 Before You Dig
    • Capital Credits
    • New Construction
    • Sample Bill
    • OTEC Claims Reporting Form
  • Community
    • OTEC Member Foundation
    • Charitable Giving
    • Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
    • Scholarships
    • DC Youth Tour
    • Idaho Youth Rally
    • Member to Member
    • Mini-members
    • Co-op Connections
    • Use of Meeting Space
  • Economic Development
  • Energy Solutions
    • Programs & Rebates
    • Renewable Energy
      • Oregon's Hydropower
      • Community Solar
      • Solar
    • Electric Vehicles (EVs)
    • Touchstone Energy Savings
  • Safety & Education
    • Safety First
    • Winter Storm Safety
    • Wildfire Preparedness
    • Public Safety Power Shutoffs
    • Call 811 Before You Dig
    • Power Surges
    • Understanding Electromagnetic Fields
    • Kids Electrical Safety Artwork Contest
    • Safety Quiz
  • Outage Center
    • Outage Map
    • Power Outage Tips
    • Restoration Process
    • Generator Safety
  • News
    • Ruralite
    • Press Releases
    • Newsletter
    • Legislative
    • Power Eastern Oregon