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News you can use: Power Outage Tips

Jim Chilsen — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 12:27:35 +0000

Be prepared in case of power outages. CUB compiled these tips from a number of sources, including the Red Cross and Ready.gov. What can I do to prepare for a power outage? Line up a support network. Keep a paper copy of a list of people (and their numbers) who can help you stay at home or evacuate during an extended power outage. Prepare an emergency kit that includes a first aid kit, one flashlight for each person in the home, extra batteries, food and water, a radio, extra cash and any important documents that might be helpful (a list of medications your family takes, important medical information, your support network list, etc.) Prepare a pet emergency kit to meet the needs of your companion animals. Have food and water ready. Stock up on non-perishable food and water supplies. You need about a gallon of water per person per day. Have coolers and ice ready to extend food refrigeration. Also, keep a thermometer in your fridge, freezer or cooler so you can monitor the food temperature when you need to. Determine whether your home phone will work in a power outage, and if it has a battery backup, how long that will last. Have communication devices that work without home power. (For example a crank or battery radio, chargers/batteries for your cellphones.) Talk to your doctor and medical device provider so you have a plan for how to deal with medicines that need refrigeration and medical devices powered by electricity. Find out how long medication can be stored at higher temperatures. Consider safe alternatives for lighting, cooking and elevators. Make sure you have weatherized your doors and windows to keep your home cool for as long as possible during an outage. Make sure that you have current surge protectors for household electronics. Keep your car gas tank at least half full. What do I do during a power outage? Contact your support network. Let people in your network know that you are OK. Also, monitor alerts about the outage. (See below.) Keep your freezers and refrigerators closed as much as possible. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). First, use perishable food from the refrigerator. Perishables should have a temperature under 40 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat. (Use a food thermometer to check, and throw out the food if it’s 40 degrees or higher. When in doubt throw it out.) THEN use food from the freezer. And THEN use your non-perishable foods and staples. If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times. Monitor temperatures with a thermometer. Prevent power overloads and fire hazards. Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid power overloads or damage from power surges. Use flashlights, not candles. If any circuit breakers have been tripped, contact an electrician to inspect them before turning them on. Prevent carbon monoxide […]

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Preparing your home for winter storms

Hannah — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:59:36 +0000

Preparing your family and your home for rough winter weather can often help you avoid disaster. CUB compiled helpful tips. 1. Weatherize your home. Complete weatherization tasks, like the ones included in the list below, and protect your home and your wallet. Clean or repair heating and cooling systems. Install duct and pipe insulation. Assess fire hazards and install appropriate alarm systems. Seal drafts around windows and doors with weatherstripping. Illinois consumers have access to additional weatherization resources through their electric and gas companies (i.e. ComEd, Ameren, Nicor, Peoples Gas). For more information, visit your local utility company’s website and CUB’s gas and electric pages. 2. Know the numbers for your local and state emergency management agencies. The State of Illinois has a number of emergency resources available to people in need. A severe weather preparedness guide. An updated list of county-level Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs). 3. Keep an emergency kit stocked. This kit should include practical items such as bottled water, snacks, a battery-powered radio, flashlights and a first aid kit. We hope you never need to use such supplies, but it never hurts to be fully prepared. Experts say that you should have enough supplies to last three days, including one gallon of water per person per day and at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. 4. Sign up for your utility’s outage alert system. Ameren and ComEd offer a messaging service that sends you texts about outage information in your area, such as estimated restoration times. This will keep you up to date in an emergency situation. Sign up for ComEd’s messaging program. Sign up for Ameren’s messaging program. If you experience a failure, contact your utility immediately so it can restore your power as quickly as possible. 5. Follow these guidelines if you experience an outage: Stay away from fallen or low-hanging wires or anything they contact. Don’t try to help utility workers by moving branches off the lines. Keep a safe distance. Stay alert for gas odors. If you smell gas, or if you hear a blowing or hissing noise, leave the area immediately and call your utility. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. First use perishable food from the refrigerator. Perishables should have a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to be safe to eat. Next, use food from the freezer. Then, use your non-perishable foods and staples. If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times.

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Tips in the aftermath of a storm

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 12:04:04 +0000

We are seeing more and more examples of violent, dangerous and disruptive weather. Some utility-related tips and resources in the aftermath of a storm: What safety precautions should I take after a storm? Never approach a downed power line, always assume it’s energized and extremely dangerous. Call your utility immediately to report a downed line: ComEd, 1-800-334-7661 (1-800-EDISON-1) or Ameren, 1-800-755-5000. Check out these tips from: The state of Illinois The federal government (tips on severe weather, power outages, and medical devices during an outage) The American Red Cross (Also, food safety tips) ComEd (The utility’s storm center is here. Storm tips are here.) Ameren (Storm information is here, and outage tips are here.) Some key tips after major storms or during power outages: Beware of strolling the neighborhood after a major storm. Stay away from fallen or low-hanging wires or anything they contact, and be especially cautious near metal fences. Stay alert for natural gas odors. If you smell natural gas, or if you hear a blowing or hissing noise, leave the area immediately and call your utility. Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. First use perishable food from the refrigerator. Perishables should have a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to be safe to eat. (Use a food thermometer to check.) THEN use food from the freezer. And THEN use your non-perishable foods and staples. If in doubt about the safety of food, throw it out. If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times. Beware of scams. In the past, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Attorney General’s office have warned people in storm-damaged areas to watch out for scammers looking to exploit homeowners and business owners who may be in need of repairs. Never pre-pay for repair services. If you are contacted and suspect fraud, report the incident to your local law enforcement, or contact the Illinois AG’s Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-386-5438; 1-800-964-3013 (TTY). Stay away from downed power lines. Don’t try to “help” utility workers by moving branches off the lines. Keep a safe distance:, at least 10 feet away, and call your utility: Ameren, 1-800-755-5000, or ComEd, 1-800-334-7661. We all should be at our best at times like this, so please check on your neighbors and family members to make sure they’re alright. (Just wear a mask and practice social distancing.) Where can I get information about outages? Here’s the outage map from Ameren Illinois and here’s ComEd’s map. For easy access to information about your own home, set up an online account with your utility. (You can do that here for Ameren and here for ComEd.) With the Ameren map, another option to get info about your home is to click on “Check Outage Status.” With the ComEd map, click […]

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