Show All Answers

1. What should I do if I lose power?

Customers whose residence or business is without power should call Danville Utilities at (434) 773-8300 to report the outage. When calling, customers are asked to verify their telephone number and account number with the staff member or through the automated system.

For customers who have trouble getting through, keep trying. Our system can be overwhelmed at times.

2. Once I have reported an outage, what steps do you take?

Once an outage report is received, a ticket will be created. The tickets are sent to operations and a field technician is dispatched to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. If the repair cannot be done by the field technician, then a line crew will be called out to make repairs.

Repair Process

When widespread outages occur, line crews are first assigned to make repairs based on restoring power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest time. As lines are repaired and crews become available, they are assigned to areas with fewer outages. Sometimes your circuit may be among the first repaired, and other times not.

When there is a delay in restoring your power, we appreciate your patience. Customers should note that during the power restoration effort there are times when crews must temporarily shut off power to an area to make repairs. Once major lines serving a neighborhood are repaired, power may be on at some houses and off at others because of additional damage to lines and equipment serving those homes.

Some houses have electric service when others don't because houses may be on different lines or circuits.

3. Why can't Danville Utilities tell me when my power will be restored?

Each outage has different circumstances and some may take longer for us to identify the source of the problem. Widespread damage makes it more difficult to accurately predict when a particular customer's power will be restored - especially in the early phases of an outage, while the extent of damage is being assessed. Once the extent of damage is understood, restoration times are affected by the degree of damage to our facilities.

High-voltage transmission lines must be given first priority because they supply electricity to the entire distribution system. Substations are repaired next in order to energize local distribution lines. A distribution line serving a local area may have multiple damage locations, all of which must be found and repaired.

All these factors affect our ability to predict when a specific customer's power will be restored.

4. What if a power line falls into my yard?

Downed power lines are very dangerous. Please call 9-1-1 immediately. We have direct contact with local emergency services and will respond as quickly as possible.

5. Why did a service truck go through my neighborhood without stopping to restore my power?

Service crews often must first tackle public safety hazards and repairs that restore power to hospitals or police and fire departments. A truck may have passed your home on the way to one of these high-priority assignments.

6. Why did my power come back on, then go off again a few minutes later?

Restoring power to your home is a complex and dangerous job. Sometimes, after a line is repaired in one location, other damage causes the line to go out again. At other times, it may be necessary to turn off your power once more to safely repair other problems.

In any case, our crews work to restore your power again as soon as safely possible. If your power comes back on, then goes off again, please let us know by calling our 24-hour emergency number.

7. What if I have medical equipment?

It is not always possible to determine how long a power outage will occur because of extent of damage; therefore, a customer using medical devices must make other arrangements in the event of a power outage and temporarily go to a location or medical facility that does have power.

Customers should listen for locations of shelters that may be open or find other arrangements until service can be restored to their residence.

8. Can I use a portable generator to produce electricity for my home during an outage?

Yes, but please follow the manufacturer's directions.