How to Report an Outage
Using SmartHub
SmartHub is the quickest and easiest way to let us know about an outage. You can access SmartHub through the web or on your mobile device using our iOS app or our Android app. If you have not already, please register for an account here.
Once signed into your account, you will be able to report outages and signup for outage notifications 24×7.
By Phone
To report an outage by phone, please 765-973-7200 and follow the prompts.
What information is helpful to RP&L when reporting an outage?
- Your address
- A contact phone number
- Do you have partial power?
- Do your neighbors have power?
- Do you see a line down? (NEVER touch a downed power line)
- Did you hear any loud noises or see sparks coming from a transformer, etc.?
How do I get updates regarding the outage?
Richmond Power & Light will update customers via local radio stations every two to four hours: WFMG 101.3 FM, WHON 930 AM, WQLK 96.1 FM, and WKBV 1490 AM. Social media postings will appear on Facebook and Twitter as well.
If your electric service is interrupted, check with a neighbor to see if you are the only one without service. If you are, check your panel box for a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse. Check to see if all of the breakers are in the “on” position. If any breakers are in the “off” position, flip them back to the “on” position. A blown fuse should be replaced with a new one of the same amperage.
Generally, this will correct a simple interruption. If it doesn’t solve your problem, call 765-973-7200 and follow the prompts. There is someone there to answer your call 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. If you try to call to report an outage and our line is busy, please keep trying. Don’t assume your neighbors have already called in… they may not call us because they think you will. Give your name, address and telephone number and, to the best of your ability, describe the problem. For example, a fallen tree across a wire, or a flash at the transformer. If you have additional information, please pass it along.
Questions & Answers
Why do I have trouble getting a call through to your office?
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If you are calling our regular 765-973-7200 number, we have one to four lines being answered at a time. If you get a busy signal, please try again a few minutes later to report your outage. We need to hear from our customers! We have staff to answer your calls 24-hours a day.
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Why can’t you tell me specifically when my power will be restored?
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Unless the cause of an outage is obvious (such as a car running into a power pole), it takes us some time to determine the extent of the damage. And the problems are magnified during storms that result in numerous outages. Our priority is simply to get your power back on, not to guess about how quickly it may happen.
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My neighbors have power, why don’t I?
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Sometimes there’s a blown fuse in a transformer or damage done to the line serving your home. But we also may have to isolate a small section of line to work on a problem, even while power has been restored to other parts of the same line.
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Do certain customers get priority in having their power restored?
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When multiple customers living within the same neighborhood are affected during a storm, or other cause of power failure, they are generally served by a common line. Repairing this line means restoring power to all customers affected simultaneously. When customers not living within the same neighborhood are affected, different factors such as total time without power and distance from the working crew are taken into consideration. When scattered outages occur we do give weighted consideration to people on life support systems.
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Why can’t you prevent outages from occurring in the first place?
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We do our best during non-emergency time to maintain and upgrade our entire electric system. But unfortunately, no system is built to withstand falling trees, branches across lines and other side effects of severe weather. A well-designed and maintained system will prevent some damage, but it can’t completely prevent outages.
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