| United Power Encourages Members to Prepare for Storm Cooperative Crews Ready to Respond to Outages Brighton, Colo. – Colorado’s front range is expected to receive record snow over the coming days and United Power is encouraging members to prepare for possible extended power outages and treacherous road conditions. The predicted snow fall totals may cause heavy snow to accumulate on tree branches and cause damage to limbs. Downed tree limbs and high winds can damage nearby powerlines, knocking out power.“United Power has cooperative crews and contract crews on call and ready to respond throughout the storm. The utility is preparing trucks for winter driving conditions and stocking supplies to ensure we are ready to respond,” said Brent Sydow, Operations Manager. “Our crews in Coal Creek, Carbon Valley and Brighton are ready to tackle what this storm may bring to keep the lights on for our members. We thank them in advance for their support.”The Colorado Department of Transportation is asking people to stay off the roads and not travel this weekend. If you must travel, please take winter driving essentials with you and drive carefully. Be aware that road conditions, low visibility and road closures may slow utility response. Rest assured the utility will be responding with as many crews, and as quickly, as is safely possible. Prepare for possible power outages:Have a back-up plan to keep medical equipment powered during an outage. Charge extra batteries now, and plan ahead to protect your loved ones who rely on electricity to power their medical devices. Learn more at www.unitedpower.com/medical-devices.Fully charge your phone, tablet and laptop batteries to ensure you can maintain communication in an emergency.Ensure you have the essentials to keep your family safe and warm if you must shelter in place. Find helpful safety tips for Winter Weather Preparedness from the Red Cross at www.unitedpower.com.Report Power Outages & Stay InformedMembers can help United Power restore power as quickly as possible by reporting outages. There are several ways to report an outage and stay updated:Download the United Power mobile app, or set up your account on United Power’s billing and payment portal. Members can quickly report a power outage to our system operators without encountering a busy signal if our phone lines are overwhelmed. www.unitedpower.com/myaccountCall 303-637-1350 and report your outage through the automated system. In a widespread outage, our phone lines may be busy, but please keep trying, or use our online portal or mobile app.Details are posted on the outage map as information becomes available from the field and widespread outage updates will be posted on our website. Monitor outages at www.unitedpower.com/outagemap, or www.unitedpower.com.Follow United Power on social media. Widespread outage updates will be posted regularly. (Please remember that our social media accounts are not tied to our outage system.) Reporting your outages through our online portal, or the mobile app are the fastest way to ensure our system operators know you are out of power.Important Storm Safety RemindersStay away from downed powerlines. Always assume a downed line is energized and never attempt to remove trees or debris from powerlines.Use generators safely. If you plan to use a generator in the event of an outage, please remember the safe operation to protect your family, and any crews that may be working on the line. Learn more: www.unitedpower.com/generator-safety.Observe food safety. In an outage, remember to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A full freezer can maintain freezing temperatures longer when doors remained closed. Follow USDA guidance on freezer and food temperatures.United Power is committed to ensuring our members have reliable power and to responding when nature impacts our system. The safety of our members and employees is our top priority, and we hope that all our members stay safe through the storm.###United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to more than 97,000 meters at homes, farms and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The 900 square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson and Keenesburg. At the end of 2020, the cooperative reached more than 97,000 meters representing more than 300,000 members. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop. |
