Electric Power Restoration

Questions & Answers

Q. What are GRU's priorities for service restoration?

A. Essential customers such as hospitals, power plants, water plants, wastewater treatment plants, wastewater lift stations, law enforcement and fire stations are first on our priority list. Our crews then fix those things that will benefit the most people. Even though a crew may be working a mile or two from your home, chances are their work is helping to get your service restored. To learn more about the restoration process, click here.

Q. Do elected officials and other important individuals get special attention?

A. No. GRU does not give preferential treatment. It is contrary to our electric restoration plan to single out any individual for priority electric service restoration. Nor is work assigned according to when customers report their outage, where they live or the status of their account.

Q: What about customers with medically essential electric service

A: Persons with medically essential electric service should make plans to evacuate prior to the storm event. Although most utilities do give priority to customers with medically essential electric service during isolated electric outages, during natural disasters with widespread outages it is impossible to give individual priority due to the extent of the damage and the order in which power must be restored. Contact the Alachua County Office of Emergency Management (352) 264-6500 for evacuation information prior to an approaching storm.

Q. Does GRU know I've lost electric service after a storm? Should I call to report my outage?

A. Right after a storm, we'll know if large power lines have been damaged and which service areas are without power. So rather than calling us right away, please help us keep the phone lines open for emergencies. If you need to report an emergency like a downed power line or electrical equipment that is sparking and dangerous, please call (352) 334-2871 immediately. If you are the only home in your neighborhood without power, call (352) 334-2871 to report this.

Q. When should I call?

A. Once your neighborhood gets electric service restored, if you're still without power then please call us (352) 334-2871. Have your phone or account number available and an automated system will record your information and ensure a report is generated to have your service restored. After taking your information, hang on the line and you will be transferred to a representative in the customer care phone center.

Q. How does GRU determine who has lost service and what repairs are needed?

A. We make an initial damage assessment of our system by observation from field crews and even helicopters, once it is safe to do so. These initial observations help us understand the repairs that we may need to make to key facilities like power plants, substations and main power lines before we can begin the restoration process for customers. It also helps us determine if we should request assistance from outside crews. After the initial assessment and once it's safe for our employees to begin work we dispatch patrol teams to conduct neighborhood-by-neighborhood assessments. These teams report electrical equipment damage and what repairs may be needed.

Q. What can customers do to help get their power back?

A. Before calling to report an outage:

• Check all circuit breakers or fuses to help determine if your service outage might be the result of a household problem
• Call a licensed electrician if you have significant water damage in your home that might make it unsafe for you to receive electricity
• " Inspect the area outside your home near the meter. If the meter box or any of the piping and wires on the wall of your home or office are gone or look damaged, call an electrician. You may need to make repairs to home wiring before GRU can reconnect your power. If no problems are readily apparent, GRU will connect your service or assist in determining if you have a household problem. GRU is responsible for providing power to your meter and service entrance or "weather head." Beyond that, the customer is responsible for repairs. Contact a qualified electrician if you need assistance.

Q. Is it true GRU automatically turns power off during a hurricane?

A. No. GRU will not turn power off without cause during a hurricane. Protective devices on our equipment and lines will operate and at times isolate damage to the electric system.

Q. When will GRU be working?

A. Always. However, when the winds are at or above 35 mph, restoration efforts are limited, because bucket trucks cannot be used safely.

Q. How can I tell the difference between telephone, television cable and electrical lines? How can I tell if standing water is electrified? How can I tell if a fallen line still has electricity in it?

A. Consider all cables and wires as being energized regardless of whether they are electrical, cable television or telephone. If a line is in the water, there is even more reason to be cautious and consider it and the water energized. Please keep children away from all flooded areas as the water could be hiding an energized line or be contaminated.

Q. Is it safe for me to walk my neighborhood right after the storm passes, just to get out of the house, or to determine how bad the neighborhood got hit by the storm?

A. Stay away from downed lines, flooding and debris. Don't walk in standing water and don't venture out in the dark because you won't be able to see a power line that could still be energized and dangerous.

Q. How will fallen trees near power lines be handled?

A. One of our top priorities will be to remove trees and debris that have damaged electrical equipment and are preventing service restoration. Customers should not attempt to remove or trim foliage within 10 feet of a power line. If a tree or tree limbs have fallen on a power line or pulled it down, do not attempt to get close to the line or the tree. If the line is sparking, call GRU at (352) 334-2871 and report it as an emergency. Safety should always be your first priority when pruning. Look up to ensure that you are not working near a power line. Be especially careful when working with a ladder, scaffold, pole or tree in your yard. Do not do any trimming near a power line.

Q. Why would GRU crews pass my house without repairing anything?

A. If you see a GRU crew passing but not stopping, it may be because work at a nearby location must be performed before electric service can be restored to you and your neighbors.

Q: GRU said they would be working in my area today but I have not seen any crews working. Where are they?

A: Damage to electrical circuits can lead to loss of power up to several miles covering a large area. In some cases repairs on the primary system may be the only problem consequently restoring power over a broad area. So a crew working to restore power to your neighborhood could be up to several miles away yet your power could be restored by their effort.

Q. Why am I the only house on the block without power?

A. Fuses or circuit breakers in your home could have tripped and halted power, tree limbs could have fallen on the line serving your home, the fuse on the transformer that serves your home may have blown or could be damaged, or the primary line feeding the transformer could be damaged. If there is no problem(s) in your circuit breaker or fuse panel, call (352) 334-2871 to report your power is not restored.

Q. Can I pay an electrician to change my GRU service wires or cables?

A. No. Electricians are not allowed to work on GRU lines from the pole or transformer to your house. Your electrician handles work that needs to be done from the meter to inside the house, including your circuit breakers and home wiring.

Q. If my lights come on, can I expect them to stay on?

A. Once service is restored, we make every effort to keep it on; however, as we repair other parts of our system, some interruptions may occur.

Q. What about my bill if I have to relocate? Will I be charged a late fee?

A. We recognize that some areas may be damaged so much that normal household routines, including bill paying, could be disrupted for a period of time. If you have incurred significant damage to your home or business that forces you to relocate, please contact GRU at (352) 334-3434 regarding your account and address, and we will work with you to resolve billing and late fee issues.

Q. How does GRU manage increased calls during an emergency?

A. Our call centers use an automated outage reporting system, which takes customer calls and generates reports for prioritization according to our restoration plan. This number is (352) 334-2871. In an emergency, extra lines and additional people are assigned to the customer care phone centers to help facilitate the increased call volume. Hang on the line once your information is recorded, the system will transfer you to a representative in the customer care phone center.

Q: My subdivision has underground utilities, why did I lose power during the storm?

A: Many subdivisions with underground utilities only appear less susceptible to storm damage. Underground utilities can be served by overhead lines which are vulnerable to damage. Uprooted trees or other damage sustained to the ground can affect underground utilities.

Q: What causes my power to go out?

A: A number of uncontrollable things can cause power to be interrupted. During storms, high winds and lightening can cause damage to the electric system. Affects of the storm can cause trees and vegetation to impact the electric system. With the Gainesville area having one of the best tree canopies in the state of Florida, the chance for power interruptions caused by vegetation is increased. Our lovely tree canopy also brings a host of animals that can interrupt power such as squirrels. And human error can cause power interruptions when something comes in contact with our electrical system as with an unfortunate auto accident.