Storm Center - Frequently Asked Questions

Power Restoration
When To Call If You Experience An Outage
DS&O Personnel Assigned to Work Outages
How You Can Help During An Outage
DS&O's Power Supply System During A Major Outage or Severe Weather Threat
Your Safety During an Outage
Your Bill or Damage to Your Property During or After an Outage

When To Call If You Experience An Outage

Q. Does DS&O 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 you're without power. So rather than calling us right away, please help us keep the phone lines open. If you need to report an emergency like a downed power line or electrical equipment that is sparking and dangerous, please call immediately. The number is 1-800-376-3533

Q. Who Do I Call to Report My Outage

A. If you determine the problem is outside your home, call DS&O. Our system operators monitor our distribution system, take your trouble calls, and dispatch service personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Calling 1-800-376-3533 to report a power outage is the fastest, most accurate way to report your outage, because a ticket with all the pertinent customer and system data is printed within seconds in our 24-hour system operations center. Employees in this center dispatch crews to your area to restore power.

Q. When should I call?

A. If you're still without power then please call us at 1-800-376-3533. Have your account number or phone number available when you call to report your outage and an automated system will record your information and ensure a report is generated to get it fixed.

Q. What Information Do I Need To Have Ready Before I Call ?

A. Call 1-800-376-3533 to report a power outage. This is an automated line, so listen carefully and follow the voice prompts and be prepared to enter either the telephone number at the outage location or the account number from your DS&O Energy bill.

Q. Do I Need To Call More Than Once ?

A. Call any time you have a power outage. We are here to serve you. Once you report the outage, try not to call DS&O or the automated outage line again unless you have an emergency. Be assured that our crews are doing everything possible to restore your power as soon as possible. Unnecessary calls prevent those who have not reported their outage from getting through or generate multiple outage tickets for the same location.

Q. Why is An Automated Outage Line Faster Than Talking to a Live Person ?

A. We encourage members to use 1-800-376-3533 whenever they need to report a power outage, especially during severe storms. DS&O has 32 employees, with more than 22 of those working in outside jobs (i.e. line personnel, staking technicians, metering technicians, etc.) This leaves less than 10 inside employees that could staff telephones.

The reality is that no utility could ever staff enough employees to personally answer each trouble call that came in during a power outage. During a power outage, and depending upon its severity, anywhere from 10 to 99 plus members could call at once to report their outage. Utilities are faced with the option of either letting their members hear a busy signal or giving them an automated system to immediately answer and report their outage.

This automated system is the most effective way to report an outage. It can take up to 99 calls at once without a busy signal. The system immediately prints an outage ticket with all the pertinent member and electric distribution system data (i.e. your pole number, transformer number, substation that serves your location, etc.) that our electric distribution system operators need to dispatch crews to your area.

Q. How Do I Report a Security Light or Street Light Power Outage ?

A. To report these type of outages, simply contact our office at 785-655-2011. A customer service representative will initiate a service order and a crew will be dispatched to repair the problem during normal business hours Monday through Friday.

Q. When will DS&O be working before and after the storm?

A. DS&O does attempt to restore service during a storm, as long as the work can be done safely. Working in those conditions can endanger the safety of our employees.