There often are different circuits serving any one neighborhood. As each circuit is repaired and cleared, service is restored and crews move onto the next circuit. Also, we often are able to switch customers to other circuits as we isolate a specific problem. This switching within the system may allow your neighbor to get power from a different circuit or a different direction on the circuit, therefore bypassing the problem that may still be affecting your service.

Another reason your power may remain affected while your neighbor's power has been restored is that there is a problem with the transformer or line that directly services your home. If all the people around you have power and you are still out, call Duquesne Light at 1-888-393-7000. We will check whether there is a problem with the service to your home.

Although our outage monitoring system helps us identify large areas of customers affected by an outage, it cannot always determine where there are individual outages or when everyone's power is restored. Customer calls help us identify individual trouble areas as well as identifying downed power lines that present a public safety hazard.

Customers who rely on life-support or life-monitoring equipment in their home should notify Duquesne Light in advance by calling 1-888-393-7100 so that we can let you know when we are planning routine service work in your area that will interrupt power. However, when the power is out because of adverse weather conditions, car accidents or other circumstances, Duquesne Light cannot guarantee that customers on life-sustaining medical equipment will have their power restored immediately. We recommend that these individuals have emergency contingency plans in place, including a battery backup power supply and transportation to a hospital, if needed.

After major storms when there are numerous power outages in several communities, Company personnel prioritize restoration work. The paramount priority is the safety of the public and those working to restore service. Public safety hazards, such as lines down across major highways and burning wires, are our first priority. Repairing transmission and subtransmission lines that carry electricity from power stations is the next priority followed by restoring service to essential facilities, including hospitals, emergency facilities and water and sanitary authorities. Once power has been restored to these facilities, our main focus is directed to substations and major circuits, followed by service to small neighborhoods and finally individual homes. Visit Restoration Priorities for more information.

Power outages are caused by many circumstances. Storms generally produce the most damage. However, many power outages result from vehicle accidents that damage utility poles and bring down wires. Other causes of power outages include small animals that climb onto equipment and cause a short circuit. Tree limbs that swing into or break off and hit power lines are another reason for outages. Causes of Power Outages provides more information on the reasons for power outages.

Downed power lines are our first priority. A field investigator is dispatched to the site to cut the line clear and make the conditions safe while a repair crew is being sent to repair the line. Visit Downed Power Lines for important safety information.

Estimates of the number of customers without power may increase as Duquesne Light restores power after a major storm. This can happen for several reasons.

• As the Company patrols the damaged areas, we may discover outages that weren't reported earlier.
• As more customers report power outages to the Company, the outage reporting system is updated and we have more refined numbers.
• Tree branches that were weakened during the storm eventually break off and fall into lines causing additional outages.
• Depending on the time of day that outages occur, customers may be at work or away from homes and unaware that there is an outage to report until they return home.

Delivering power to your home requires a clear, uninterrupted path from Duquesne Light's high-voltage transmission lines, through substations and lower-voltage distribution lines, and finally to the connection to your home. Damage anywhere along this path stops the flow of electricity. The time needed for repairs varies depending on the extent of the damage at each point. Even when all repairs have been completed, weakened tree branches continue to break off several days after they are damaged, causing new power outages.

Immediately after a major storm, Duquesne Light personnel begin assessing damage and addressing public health and safety situations. When there is severe damage to the utility infrastructure, repair work must be completed on lines that deliver power from power plants and substations before crews can begin working in local neighborhoods. Work is organized to first repair major circuits that serve large groups of customers followed by repairs in small neighborhoods and finally individual homes.

Duquesne Light has a team of field investigators, called Troubleshooters, who specialize in power restoration, on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout our service area. When a power outage occurs, one of these trained experts is immediately dispatched to the area. In many instances, where the problem is relatively minor, the Troubleshooter can repair the damage. However, in cases where equipment has been damaged – wires down, pole broken, etc., a repair crew is needed. If this is the case, the Troubleshooter communicates back to our Distribution Operations Center the exact details of the problem. A repair crew, equipped with the necessary materials, is dispatched to the location.

During major storms, when there is extensive damage, Troubleshooters support the Distribution Operations Center in compiling damage information so that priorities can be set and a restoration plan developed. The Duquesne Light Storm Plan section of this site will provide you more information on how we respond to power outages.

It is safer to have utility professionals do all work near power lines. Power lines – as well as trees and tree limbs on and near power lines – could still be energized or become energized as a result of work at another location on the same circuit.

Duquesne Light generally does not reimburse customers for damages – including the loss of food – resulting from a power outage caused by an act of nature, such as storms.