Outages & Your Business

In an outage, knowledge is power

Knowing what to do before, during and after a power outage is important for your safety and the safety of your staff. It’s also essential for your business assets, especially your valuable (and expensive) electronic equipment and systems.

There are a number of simple, fast, low- or no-cost measures you can take to make sure your business is prepared for a power outage, such as supplying flashlights to each department in case of a power outage, or posting a diagram of your electrical system in your meter room so your workers can restore your power more quickly.

It also won't take long for you and your employees to learn how to cope if the office suddenly goes dark:

• First look next door and, if their power is still on, check your fuses or circuit breakers, then
• Contact BC Hydro immediately if the power really is out.

To report a power outage at your business, call 1 888 POWERON (1 888 769 3766) from your landline or *HYDRO (*49376) from any cell phone, or report it online at bchydro.com/outages.

For updates on a power outage in your area, go to bchydro.com/outages or, if you are using a web-enabled cell phone or PDA, use bchydro.com/mobile.

• If your phone number has changed, update your account
• What to do before an outage
• What is a site location ID number?
• When the power goes out: step by step
• Restoring power efficiently and safely
• Safety first: Never approach a fallen power line
  Download the Outage Plan Checklist

New phone number? Update your account

We want to provide you with the best possible service. But to do that, we need your help.

When you call us – to report a power outage, for example – if you do not have your BC Hydro account or Site Location ID (SLID) number handy, the easiest and fastest way for us to identify your account is through your main business telephone number.

 If your number has changed but our records have not, it can take us longer to answer your questions or pinpoint your location and where the power outage might be. To update your account, please visit bchydro.com, log in to "Your Account" and select "Edit Account".

Or why not combine updating your phone number with registering for online access to your bills, consumption history and other valuable information? Select “Register” in the Log In To Your Account box on the left of the screen.

What to do before a power outage

Know your building

• Make sure you know the location of your meter room and electric service entrance.
• If your building has fuses, know their location and ratings. Keep two spares in case a fuse blows when power is restored.
• Consider installing an emergency lighting system in your meter room.
• Have a portable lamp or flashlight, plus fresh batteries, readily available.

Know your equipment

• Prepare a list of equipment that will need to be turned off during an outage and then reset when power is restored.
• Contact other service providers (phone, security, fire, etc.) for information on how those systems will work during and after an outage.
• If you have three-phase equipment, install a protection device and know how to reset it after an outage has occurred.

Have a plan

• Develop a preparedness plan outlining the operational tasks and responsibilities for your staff.
• Identify your needs for backup electrical generation and battery (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems.
• Test your backup battery systems, emergency lighting, phone, security and fire protection systems regularly.
• To download a detailed Outage Plan for Businesses Checklist, visit bchydro.com/outages
• Compile a list of emergency telephone numbers.
• Prepare an emergency kit and store it in an easy-to-find location.

Prepare your employees

• Make sure your employees know what their responsibilities are during a power outage.
• Ensure that they have access to your site location identification number (SLID) so they can report an outage to BC Hydro if you're not available.

What is a site location ID number?

When you call 1 888 POWERON to report an outage, you will be prompted to enter either your account number or unique site location ID number (SLID). The SLID, which is pre-assigned, cannot be used to extract any account information – it is simply a reference to your location(s).

Post your SLID and make it available to employees who may be responsible for reporting an outage.

You can download and print customized posters listing your SLID number(s) by logging in to your account and clicking on Outage Resources.

When the power goes out: step by step

1. Determine whether the problem is limited to your building or electrical system. If it is a BC Hydro outage, report it to us right away.
2. Report the outage by calling 1 888 POWERON (1 888 769 3766) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your cellphone. You will be prompted to enter your account number or site location identification number (SLID).
3. Implement your outage preparedness plan.
4. Turn off equipment and appliances, including computers and laptops, especially those that generate heat. This helps prevent equipment damage when power is restored.
5. If you have access to the Internet or can contact someone who does, go to www.bchydro.com/outages for updated outage information.
6. When power is restored, first turn on the most essential equipment. Wait 10 to 15 minutes before reconnecting other equipment to avoid overloading the electrical system and give the system a chance to stabilize. Check your facility to make sure everything is operating correctly.

Take time after the outage to review your preparedness plan to determine what worked and what areas can be improved on. Update the plan and review it with your employees while the experience is fresh in everyone's mind.

For more safety tips, review the 3 Keys of Electrical Safety.

Restoring power efficiently and safely

Restoration priorities:

1. We check the overall system and repair damage to power plants, high-voltage transmission lines and substations.
2. We restore power to critical services such as hospitals, police, fire, water and communication systems.
3. We make repairs that will return service to the largest amount of customers in the least amount of time, such as high-density housing and large neighbourhoods.
4. We restore power to smaller neighbourhoods and individual customers.

Why are estimated times of restoration shorter or longer than originally predicted, or not available at all?

Shorter. In some situations, when the BC Hydro crew arrives at the site, they learn that the problem is in an area that can be bypassed. In these cases, power can be restored to some customers on the line right away while the crew fixes the problem. This can significantly shorten the predicted outage time.

Longer. In other situations, the BC Hydro crew learns that the cause of the outage is difficult to locate or is particularly complicated. If the outage has multiple causes – which may become apparent only after the first problem has been fixed – the repair may take longer than originally predicted.

Not available. During storms, our customers are communicating a huge volume of information and the situation can change from moment to moment. In these conditions, providing estimated restoration times is not always possible early on.

Safety first

Never approach a fallen power line. Always consider a fallen power line energized and extremely dangerous. Stay at least 10 metres (33 feet) away from downed lines or anything that is in contact with them and keep others away until BC Hydro is on the scene. Report the location immediately to BC Hydro at 1 888 POWERON (1 888 769 3766).

Download the Outage Plan checklist

One of the ways to lessen the impact of an outage on your business is to have a plan in place.

Use the Outage Plan for Businesses checklist  [PDF, 92 Kb] as the basis for creating your own customized outage preparedness plan for your business. It includes steps to take before during and after an outage. Keep a copy with your emergency kit.