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( Note: If you are seeking
information about current outages please refer to our news
page.)
Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC)
supplies its Member-Owners with reliable electric power 99.999 percent of the
time, but even the best systems break. Storms can damage lines, cars sometimes
hit poles and other causes make power outages a fact of life. Here is a simple
checklist that may help if the lights go out at your house.
Who do you call? The
Cooperative prides itself on its quality of service and quick response in the
event of a power outage. To report an outage contact the
Cooperative:
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Bandera, Tarpley, Medina, Pipe
Creek and Medina Lake areas,
830-796-3741
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Comfort, Center Point, Kerrville
and Boerne areas,
830-995-2824
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Leakey, Hunt, Utopia and Vanderpool areas,
830-232-5524
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Toll free (all areas),
1-866-BANDERA (226-3372)
Is the problem in your home?
An adult needs to check the fuse or circuit breaker panel to see if the problem
is confined inside the house. Be sure to check the main breaker, for most homes
it is located outside near the electric meter.
(Note: If you need help with
your wiring we provide a list of local
electricians you can contact.)
Will looking at the meter help?
YES. If the fuses and circuit breakers appear to be OK, look at
the lower left side of the electric meter (see Finding
My Meter and Number). If the little red light is still on
inside the electric meter, the problem is somewhere in your wiring. Call BEC if
you don’t see a light as this indicates there is no power to the meter.
Note:
Keep in mind cordless telephones do not work when the power is off, so keep
one old fashioned telephone handy.
Is your neighbor out too? If
you believe the problem is on BEC’s lines it is a good idea to check with a
neighbor to see if they have power. Letting us know if your neighbor is also
without power helps the Cooperative pinpoint the problem more quickly.
Does BEC know when there is an
outage? Sometimes – BEC has advanced system-monitoring capabilities in all
its
substations, but this system cannot identify every problem. BEC wants you to
call when power to the meter is interrupted. You may have information the
Co-op needs to know in order to respond properly to an outage.
What does BEC need to know about
your outage? You need to be ready to tell BEC:
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your name,
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what time the power was lost,
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your meter number,
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physical (911) address (if you have
one)
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telephone number and
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if you heard a popping noise or saw a
flash of light immediately prior to the lights going out.
Are there things I need to do around
my house when there is an outage? YES, there are a number of things you
can do during a power outage to help protect your property from damage see our
power outage tips to learn what you should
do if the lights go out and the interruption is on BEC's system.
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