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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - EMERGENCY RESPONSE


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS





FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

During a power emergency when electric supply cannot meet consumer demand for electricity and all other operational tools have been exhausted, the demand for electricity must be reduced to avoid uncontrolled blackouts. As a last resort, ERCOT will instruct electric utilities to implement controlled customer outages to reduce the customer demand for electricity on the ERCOT grid. This is referred to as load shed and will last until the power emergency is resolved by ERCOT. Click here to learn more about load shedding and what it could mean for you.

In many instances, your neighbor may have electric service when you don’t because their home is on a different set of lines or circuit. If your neighbor was without power and is now restored, and you are still without power, please check the circuit breaker at the property. You should also examine the meter base and weatherhead to ensure they have not been damaged or pulled off. If that has occurred, customers need to contact an electrician to make necessary repairs before Oncor can restore power. We also continue to identify damaged equipment as a result of transformers having to quickly power back up massive amounts of energy after the controlled outages concluded. This damage is somewhat comparable to blowing a fuse when you plug too many devices into one outlet in your home. While this damage may temporarily prevent the equipment from powering up every connected customer in the area, personnel will aim to restore as many as possible to provide relief before replacement equipment can be installed. In some instances, personnel may leave the area to work on other nearby repairs while replacement equipment is in route. This does not mean that Oncor has closed the outage or that we will not prioritize its full restoration.

Please first check the circuit breaker at the property. If power is still not restored after checking the breaker, please report it by calling 888-313-4747, texting OUT to 66267, using the MyOncor app or visiting Oncor.com. Additional damage may exist at your location that Oncor was not previously aware of when making the original repairs. Due to the large amounts of system activity surrounding power restoration, it may take some time for our tracking systems to accurately reflect your current status.

Remaining outages are the result of damage from most recent winter storm, previous winter weather and storm damage that could not be identified until equipment was re-energized, and damage to electric equipment caused by record-breaking low temperatures. Oncor personnel and out of state mutual assistance contractors are actively engaged in restoration efforts.

Restoration efforts have been hindered by two main factors. First, hazardous road conditions that greatly slow the time it takes for Oncor trucks and personnel to reach areas of repair, and pick up and deliver equipment to work sites. While temperatures finally rise above freezing, partially melting and refreezing ice may exacerbate these travel challenges. Second, we continue to identify damaged equipment as a result of transformers having to quickly power back up massive amounts of energy after the controlled outages concluded. This damage is somewhat comparable to blowing a fuse when you plug too many devices into one outlet in your home. While this damage may temporarily prevent the equipment from powering up every connected customer in the area, personnel will aim to restore as many as possible to provide relief before replacement equipment can be installed. In some instances, personnel may leave the area to work on other nearby repairs while replacement equipment or additional workers are in route. This does not mean that Oncor has closed the outage or that we will not prioritize its full restoration.

Oncor delivers electricity that you buy from your Retail Electric Provider (REP). Oncor bills the REP for the cost to deliver electricity to your home, so the bulk of Oncor charges on your residential electric bill are based on the amount of electricity you use. If you have been without power for an extended period of time, and have therefore used less electricity, it’s likely that your Oncor charges will be lower for this billing cycle. Your bill is also based on the rate charged by your REP, which varies based on which REP and plan you signed up for.

If your monthly meter reading occurs during an extended power outage, as many Texans experienced this week, Oncor may not be able communicate with a meter to determine the exact usage. In these situations, the current monthly usage reading used for billing may be estimated based on your previous usage. However, once power has been restored, we’ll obtain the actual usage from the meter, resend it to Smart Meter Texas and make it available to your REP – who will rebill if they find it necessary after receiving the updated readings.

Customers have power outages for two primary reasons: First, controlled power outages in response to the shortage of generation. Oncor does not generate electricity or control or operate generation facilities – we deliver it. As a result of this generation shortage, ERCOT, which oversees the Texas electric grid, has directed transmission and distribution companies like Oncor to reduce load on the electrical grid through controlled outages. 

These controlled outages were intended to roll throughout the service territory, but the high amount of load dropped from the grid prevented us and other utilities from performing regular rotations, leading to extended periods without power for many of our customers. We continue to strive toward providing any temporary relief that we can for those who have been without power the longest as soon as enough generation is available. 

Additionally, the second winter storm is also continuing to move through our service territory, potentially resulting in multiple inches of snow, significant ice and sleet accumulation. Personnel and out of state mutual assistance contractors are actively engaged in restoration efforts.

Controlled outages related to grid supply and demand have been significantly extended due to the current emergency grid conditions and severe cold weather. In order to preserve the reliability of the grid, ERCOT has said that additional generation will be needed before power can be restored. 

For controlled outages: ERCOT has been unable to predict when more generation will be available and when there will be enough electric supply to meet customer demand. We are doing all we can to ensure Oncor will be prepared to safely deliver electricity to our customers as soon as ERCOT allows.  

For winter storm damage: Our crews and out of state mutual assistance contractors are now actively engaged in restoration efforts. Continued winter impacts such as extreme cold, treacherous road conditions and ice buildup may impact progress. However, these personnel are well experienced in working in extreme weather conditions and will be working around the clock to assess damages, clear debris and repair damaged equipment. Even then, power from ERCOT must be available for us to reenergize your home or business. 

The bottom line: Because ERCOT cannot yet tell us when power will be available, we continue asking all Oncor customers to be prepared to be without power for an extended period of time.

Controlled outages can affect customers differently based on the load reduction required by ERCOT. For example, customers near critical facilities, or those in limited areas where rolling outages cannot take place to maintain grid stability, may not experience outages, while those farther from these facilities or areas may experience multiple outages for longer periods of time. 

Additionally, in case there are instances of substantial generation drop, safeguards are built into our system that drop customer loads automatically to prevent cascading widespread outages, or ultimately a blackout. These are designed to be short term drops that are reset quicker than controlled outages to prepare for the next response opportunity. As these limited areas must be energized in order to provide this grid protection, it could affect you but not your neighbor. Keeping these limited areas energized also helps stabilize the system, so when controlled outages are done, we can more easily get everything reconnected and turned back on. These are diverse geographical areas across the grid, based solely on the mathematic and engineering needs of the electric system. 

Lastly, while these controlled outages were intended to roll throughout the service territory, the high amount of load dropped from the grid prevented us and other utilities from performing regular rotations, leading to extended periods without power for many of our customers. We continue to strive toward providing any temporary relief that we can for those who have been without power the longest as soon as enough generation is available. 

Outages due to storm damage also affect different customers in different ways. A downed power line might affect your home but again, not your neighbor.

Oncor does not own or operate generation facilities. The current cold weather has caused many of these generators to shut down and ERCOT has not told us when to expect them back on-line. We continue to strive toward providing any temporary relief that we can for those who have been without power the longest as soon as enough generation is available.

The location of controlled, or rotating, outages depends on a variety of load factors, including the amount ERCOT has directed us to drop and the amount available to be safely disconnected. These types of outages primarily occur in residential neighborhoods and commercial areas. We also strive to avoid dropping hospitals and other critical loads and infrastructure. 

Typically, Oncor’s emergency operation plans spread these outages across the service territory on a rotating basis. Due to this unique widespread power emergency however, ERCOT has directed Oncor to drop a record amount of load over a much longer period of time. Therefore, we have had to drop all available, non-critical load and regular rotations have often been prevented. These outages are absolutely critical for ensuring the integrity of the grid and preventing cascading impacts such as a blackout. We will continue to rotate outages where possible and aim to provide any temporary relief that we can for those who have been without power the longest as soon as enough generation is available.