Stay Informed Here
When severe weather hits, get the latest outage information by viewing LREC’s outage map or by signing up for SmartHub outage notifications, which are sent via text and/or email when your service address experiences an outage.
Current Outages
Outages are reflected by colored dots on our outage map. The dot color coordinates with the map legend and indicates a range of how many members are without power. When hovering over the outage dot, you can see how many members are impacted by the outage, when it was reported, and if a crew has been assigned. Additionally, this is where LREC will post any outage details or comments about that specific outage. When clicking on the three lines to the right of the map, you will find a summary of the outage map and can select various viewing options.
Generator reminder:
Don’t forget to check the engine oil level in your standby generator every 10-12 hours of operation.
Before you report the outage, please verify that you haven’t blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker.
Members can report an outage through their SmartHub account or by calling (800) 552-7658. If calling, be prepared to provide as many details as possible. It is also extremely important that we have your correct phone number(s) on file. These numbers identify your account.
Please report an outage if experiencing the following:
- An outage lasting longer than a few minutes
- An electrical safety hazard
You may be directed to our Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system if the outage is widespread. The automated IVR system will prompt you to enter and provide your outage information. Please speak your responses or enter the outage information using your key pad. The automated system also asks if you have specific details about the outage such as a br
Outages occur for a number of reasons. In the event of a large or widespread outage, we first prioritize safety, then make repairs to restore the largest number of customers out first.
- Lake Region Electric Cooperative’s first priority is to keep the public safe. Crews are first sent to remove power lines from roadways.
- If an outage occurs at a distribution substation, crews can restore power to hundreds or thousands if the problem can be corrected inside the substation.
- Major distribution feeders are then repaired. These are the main lines that come from the substation. These lines need to be energized in order for you to receive power.
- Tap lines branch off the feeder lines and are repaired next. Sometimes these taps need to be disconnected in order to get feeder lines energized.
- Finally, service lines are repaired and restored. This might be why you do not have power and your neighbor does. While LREC is responsible for getting electricity to your meter, members must contact an electrician to repair damage to member-owned equipment.
Restoring power during inclement weather or after a large accident can be a big job. Lake Region Electric provides a 24-hour, 365 day-a-year dispatch center so if you should lose power, be assured we are working as quickly as possible to get your lights back on.
Did you know that LREC is obligated to move our lines when an item of substantial height travels through our service territory? From the photos, you can see this involves a lot people and hard work. Wires have to be lifted and sometimes cut and spliced if there isn’t enough height for the item. Please know that when we have an item of large height to move, we try to keep outages to a minimum while also ensuring our crews, the moving crews, and anyone in that area is safe.
