NES continues to diligently monitor upcoming weather forecasts and is anticipating severe weather this weekend. Extreme winter weather conditions may lead to safety hazards and power outages. While we are prepared to address potential outages, we want our customers to be ready and safe. Upcoming weather may cause dangerous road conditions. We encourage you to stay informed, limit travel if possible and follow the safety tips below.
Tips for severe weather:
- Never use the oven to heat your home.
- Never use outdoor grilling appliances or charcoal to heat the inside of your home.
- When using a space heater, refrain from plugging it into a power strip, surge protector, or extension cord. Instead, plug the space heater directly into the wall outlet by itself and never leave it running unattended.
- To prevent a fire hazard, keep blankets and other flammable items far away from portable heaters and place portable heaters on a level, hard and nonflammable surface. Keep children and pets away from portable heaters.
- Assemble an emergency kit to include essentials, like non-perishable food, bottled water, blankets, flashlights and fresh batteries. Also make sure you have enough prescription medications, formula and diapers, if needed.
- Keep your phone charged. If you have a portable phone charger, ensure it is also fully charged.
- While we do not expect intermittent reductions in power flow, it’s helpful to reduce your energy demand during extreme weather by setting thermostats no higher than 68 degrees. You can even set your thermostat down a degree or two to help conserve energy and reduce usage. Put on a sweater and warm socks to stay warm, and add an extra blanket on the bed before going to sleep.
- Inclement weather conditions may result in downed power lines. If you see a downed line, always assume it is live and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet away from the line and encourage others to avoid contact with the line as well. Call 9-1-1 to report hazardous conditions and wait for NES crews to assess damage.
In the event of a power outage:
- Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed to preserve food as long as possible. Food in the fridge will be safe if power is out less than four hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours.
- Operate your generator outside for proper ventilation.
- Never refuel your generator when it is running. Let it cool down first.
- Never hook up a generator directly to your home’s electrical service or wiring. This can cause backfeeding and pose a serious risk to NES line workers.
- To ensure your home retains as much heat as possible, make sure window drapes are closed at night time, keep garage doors closed and seal all cracks and leaks near windows or doors with a strong sealant.
- Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- Set your ceiling fan directional setting to clockwise to push warm airflow down into the room. For more tips, click here.
Tips to stay informed:
- Report a power outage to NES through your account on the website, by texting OUT to 637797 (NESPWR) from the phone number tied to your account, calling (615) 234-0000, or reporting it directly to our outage map.
- Stay informed on the status of your outage by visiting our outage map or following us on social media.
Protect yourself during a power outage:
- Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
- Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
- Only use generators outdoors and away from windows.
- Use alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or power-dependent medical devices.
- Do not use a gas stove to heat your home.
- If safe, go to an alternate location for heat or cooling.
- Check on neighbors.
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