Who to call during an outage:

The fastest way to report an outage is to call your local poles and wires company, which is called the Transmission and Distribution Utility (or TDU). Regardless of who your electric company is, the TDU maintains and services the power lines for an entire region.

Oncor Electric Delivery
1-888-313-4747

(Dallas/Ft. Worth, North and West Texas)
Report outage to Oncor or track outages with Oncor Storm Center

CenterPoint Energy
713-207-2222 or 1-800-332-7143

(Houston and surrounding areas)
Track outages with CenterPoint Outage Tracker

AEP Texas Central Company
1-866-223-8508

(South Texas)

AEP Texas North Company
1-866-223-8508

(West Texas)

Texas-New Mexico Power Company
1-888-866-7456

(Lewisville and North Texas)

Sharyland Utilities
1-800-545-4513

(West/North Texas, McAllen, Mission)


Additional Power Outage Tips:

Safety

  • Check on elderly neighbors and those with special needs who might need additional assistance.
  • Avoid downed power lines and sagging trees with broken limbs.
  • Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. If traffic lights are out, treat all intersections as four-way stops.
  • Unplug sensitive electronics, like televisions and computers, and appliances such as room air conditioners or space heaters. This may prevent appliances from being damaged by power variations that can occur when power is restored. Once power is restored, wait at least 15 minutes before turning on other appliances.

Food storage

  • Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed. Food will generally stay frozen for 36 to 48 hours in a fully-loaded freezer if you keep the door closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours.
  • As soon as power returns, check temperatures. If the food in the freezer has ice crystals and is not above 40°F, you can refreeze.
  • Perishable foods in the refrigerator should not be above 40°F for more than two hours.

Preparation

  • Make sure you have water.
  • Make sure to have flashlights, a battery-powered radio and fresh batteries in an easily accessible area. Do not use candles for lighting.
  • Keep a battery-operated radio tuned to a local station. If the power outage is extensive or if there are rotating outages, announcements will be made on the radio.
  • Keep curtains closed and limit trips outside to maintain temperature for a longer period.