When you operate a business, any amount of time without electricity can affect your business. Here are some tips on how to prepare for outages, minimize disruptions and protect your equipment.

• Walk through a response plan with key employees to make sure you’re ready if your business loses power.
• Locate your electrical supply panels and know how to shut off power.
• Identify equipment power switches.
• Make sure you and your staff have an outage plan for all critical equipment.
• Maintain emergency lighting.
• Create and maintain an emergency kit that includes the following items:
  • Flashlights
  • Battery-powered radio
  • Battery-powered clocks
  • Emergency phone numbers
  • Extra batteries
  • Bottled water (if you rely on electricity to pump water)

Outage tips for critical equipment
Use the following pointers in protecting valuable equipment and compensating for power loss.

Before an outage

• Cash registers: Have a nonelectrical alternative as a backup.
• Computers: Protect computers from power surges with good quality surge protectors. Prevent data loss with automatic backup programs and battery backup systems. More information is available in our Surge and Power Back-up Products section.
• Electronic door locks: Ensure these can be bypassed manually.

During an outage

• Motorized equipment: Turn equipment off to reduce the electrical load when power is restored.
• Refrigeration: Keep refrigerators and freezers closed to minimize food loss. Freezers, when full, can keep food frozen for about two days if unopened.
• Ventilation: Do not attempt to operate machinery if ventilation, safety or fire suppression systems are not working.

Consider back-up power
Does your business need a back-up power supply? Here’s how to decide:

1. Identify critical business functions and equipment.
2. Estimate the financial impact from loss of power to those functions.
3. Weigh this cost against the expense of purchasing and installing a back-up power system.

What to do if the power goes out

• Check for blown fuses or tripped circuits. If these are okay, see if neighboring businesses are without power.
• Call PGE immediately. You may be asked for information, or you may hear a message if the situation has already been reported. Please call only once to keep lines open for other customers.
• Check for downed utility lines outside your facility and keep people away.
• Turn off electrical equipment, especially machinery with motors, to reduce the electrical load when power is restored.
• Listen to a battery-powered radio for updates on major storm outages.
• Call PGE again if power is restored to neighboring businesses but not yours.
• If your lights are very dim or bright once power is restored, or if some equipment doesn’t operate properly, turn off the power at the service panel and call PGE.

To report an outage or electrical emergency, call 503-228-6322 in the Portland metro area, 503-399-7717 in Salem or 800-544-1795 outside Portland.

View a printable version of our business outage preparedness brochure (PDF).