Lincoln Electric Logo
Login to SmartHub

Outages

If Your Power Goes Out

Check your home’s breaker panel and any outdoor disconnects to make sure the outage is not due to a tripped breaker. If you determine the problem is outside your home’s wiring, call LEC’s outage reporting number at 406-889-3301.

Please do NOT email outage reports – our email accounts are NOT monitored constantly and you could be without power for an extended amount of time.

Also, do NOT call the Eureka Dispatch number directly. During large after-hours outages, LEC employees will return to the office to answer calls and you will receive more accurate information by dialing 406-889-3301, each time, every time.

Please call anytime your power is out. Don’t assume others have reported the outage – you may be the only one experiencing an outage. Once you make a report, please try to call LEC back ONLY if an emergency arises.

Outage Considerations

  • If you depend on electricity for life support, you may want to consider purchasing a portable generator for when there are outages. If a portable generator is used, it MUST be isolated from our lines. If you are interested in using a generator, please contact LEC to learn about generator safety and installation guidelines.
  • Leave your porch light switched on, as well as a light inside your home so you and our repair crews will know when service has been restored.
  • Turn down your thermostat and turn off the circuit breaker for your water heater. This will help reduce initial demand for electricity when power is restored. If that demand is too great, the system may overload and cause the power to go off again.
  • Turn off and unplug other electrical equipment, including VCRs, computers, television sets, stereos and microwave ovens. It will help protect your equipment in case there is a change in voltage as the power comes back on. It’s also a good idea to use a surge suppresser to protect your valuable electrical equipment and appliances.
  • Do not turn equipment on again until lights have returned to their normal brightness.
  • Open refrigerators and freezers as seldom as possible so cold air stays inside until the power comes back on. It may help to cover freezers with blankets and quilts. For more information on food safety during power outages, please check out http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076881.htm#s2.
  • Make sure you have one or more working flashlights on hand with extra batteries. Use caution if you light candles.