What do I do if my power goes out?
If your service goes out, report the outage to us immediately. You can report your outage:
How can I keep myself and my family safe during an outage?
For tips on how to stay safe during a storm, visit our Outage Readiness and Safety Page
What do I do if I see a downed wire?
Never approach a downed power line; always assume a power line is energized and extremely dangerous. Call us immediately at 1-800-841-4141 to report a downed wire.
When will my power come back on?
To receive an estimated time of restoration for your address, please visit Check My Outage Status, or use our mobile app. We also suggest confirming your contact information and enrolling in outage alerts at the My Notification Preferences page.
We work on restoring power to customers in the following order:
Learn more about our Restoration Process.
What can commercial customers do to prepare for and respond to an outage?
Commercial customers can add and update multiple phone numbers in their My Account. We recommend adding facility managers to get outage notifications.
Provide your account manager with your PECO account number, and emergency point of contact (name, title and mobile number), so information can be provided during an electrical system event or an emergency.
Review your emergency action plans or business continuity plans and know what actions you will take during an outage.
Identify a safe alternate location for personnel in case of an extended outage.
If you have a generator for your business, test it regularly.
Protect critical or sensitive electronic equipment with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for temporary backup power.
Complete a manual backup for work done on computers and cash registers.
Ensure electronic door locks can be bypassed manually.
If you have an emergency lighting system, make sure it is in good working order.
If your business sells perishable food items, please make appropriate plans to safeguard those items.
Download our mobile app, which has many resources to keep you informed during a storm.
For more information on how to prepare for an outage please visit Outage Readiness and Safety.
What do I do if my lights are dim or flickering?
PECO's electrical system is designed to redirect power due to disturbances, such as when tree limbs make contact with power lines. To do this, the system quickly turns on and off, causing a flicker. Please give your power a few minutes to recover and then check your breakers. If you are still having an issue, report your dim or flickering status as a power outage.
My family member uses medical equipment that needs electricity. What should we do to prepare for outages?
We know some customers have special needs due to age, disability, serious illness, or medical equipment that uses electricity. Making repairs safely and efficiently can take time. It’s important to have a backup plan in case of an extended power outage. Learn more about our restoration process and Outage Readiness and Safety.
Why doesn't my location show up on the outage map?
Outages often affect more than one address, so map icons may not appear at your exact location. For an update on your address, please visit the Check My Outage Status, or use our mobile app. We also suggest confirming your contact information and enrolling in outage alerts at the My Notification Preferences page to receive automatic updates.
How can I keep my food safe during an outage?
Visit our Before Outage Readiness and Safety page to learn more about keeping your food safe during an outage.
Why does my neighbor have power and I don’t?
Your neighbors may be on a different electric supply line. If damage to our system is limited to your section of the power grid, it's possible for some of your neighbors to still have power.
Why is the PECO truck idle on my street?
There are several reasons why a PECO truck or crew isn't actively working on equipment during an outage. PECO has mandated rest times to ensure the safety of our crews and equipment. Crews could also be staged and ready to work once repairs in another area are complete. Additionally, they may need to wait for tree trimming crews or other support staff to arrive or finish their work.
How does PECO prepare for outages?
PECO has been supplying power to its customers for over 100 years. Please visit How PECO prepares for outages to learn what we do behind the scenes, to supply power to our customers with as few interruptions as possible.
What is PECO doing to prevent future outages?
Trees and vegetation coming in contact with energy equipment is a common cause of power outages. PECO crews prune trees to reduce the number of tree-related power interruptions. Learn more about how what we do to reduce nature-related outages.
We invest in our equipment to provide you with safer, more reliable power. This includes modernizing and developing a smarter, more resilient electric grid. PECO has several engineering teams whose sole focus is making sure our distribution system is reliable. Some of their projects include installing automated equipment that helps PECO quickly diagnose and prevent power outages. For more information, visit How PECO Prepares for Outages.
You can help prevent outages by working and living safely around electrical equipment.
Digging safely: Understand how you can avoid damaging underground equipment when excavating.
Making smart planting choices: Use the proper guidelines when planting trees near power lines or green transformer boxes.
Maintaining the energy equipment you own: Understand which gas pipes or electric lines are your responsibility, and how you can ensure they are working properly.
Reporting any potential issues before they result in a power outage or other issue: If you see damaged equipment or other potential hazards, please contact PECO immediately so we can investigate and make repairs.
Will I be reimbursed for any damage or food loss?
PECO does not provide dry ice or reimburse for food loss due to a power outage. Please contact your homeowner's insurance company to file a claim.
Why didn't you clean up tree debris after the storm?
Our first priority in response to any storm is to restore service to customers as quickly and as safely as possible. PECO is responsible for cutting, trimming, or removing trees or branches that could affect our equipment.
Customers are responsible for disposing of tree debris due to damage from storms, ice, winds, or other natural causes on their property.
After a storm, PECO crews need to focus on responding to power outage situations. If you need help with tree debris removal, visit TCIA.org to find local, accredited tree service companies. There is usually a cost for these companies' services. However, counties often support removal if the tree debris is in a public space or on a road.
