Home about us obtaining service view your account SVECares products & services economic development your directors your local office commercial & industry other links Questions? E-mail us. Please provide us  with your name and  phone number.		Outage Tips		Powerful things to Consider
		If the lights go out   Restoring power   Life sustaining equipment   Changing a fuse Resetting a breaker Overhead lines    Special Concerns Construction Precautions Before You Dig Landscaping Meter Access Energy Theft
		Outage Tips What To Do If The Electricity Goes Off Check the fuses or circuit breakers Check your neighborhood to see if the electricity is off in your area If electricity is off in the area, call your SVEC district office during working hours or 1-888-421-7832 after working hours to report the outage When reporting an outage, please give the following information: 1.Name in which service is listed at your location 2. Location of the service (the 911 address if you have one) and the account number, if available 3. Your telephone number 4. All additional information about the location and nature of the outage so that Cooperative personnel can locate the problem and restore service as quickly as possible It is important that you report any outage promptly. Don’t assume that someone else has reported it. Your calls help us determine the extent and specific location of outages. We particularly need to know about any dangerous or life-threatening situation, such as trees on lines or downed lines.   Restoring Power SVEC has personnel on duty 24 hours a day. They will answer your calls for emergency service after business hours. They are able to dispatch line crews to restore power. In such circumstances our phone lines often become jammed, so please be patient when trying to call. CAUTION: To prevent a large, instantaneous load on the Cooperative’s system when power is restored, we recommend that you turn off all large automatic equipment - such as air conditioning, electric heat, electric dryers, etc. - that were on when service was interrupted. Leave only one light on to indicate when power has been restored. Then, turn on appliances and other equipment one at a time. If you (and others) leave the large loads connected to the system, the demand for power when the lines are reconnected may cause another, longer outage. Life Sustaining Medical Equipment Some SVEC members use essential, life-sustaining medical equipment prescribed by a physician. Since SVEC cannot guarantee uninterrupted service, it is the member’s responsibility to secure a back-up power supply (batteries, generator, etc.) if the nature of the medical problem requires continuous operation of the equipment. If you install a stand-by generator, please contact our Engineering Department for recommended wiring procedures that will ensure that electricity from your generator will NOT feed into the Cooperative’s distribution system and create hazardous working conditions for personnel who are working on the system to restore service.   To Change a Fuse 1. First, disconnect lamps and appliances in use when circuit went out. Also, turn wall switches off. 2. Make sure your hands are dry; if possible, stand on a dry board or rubber pad; open the main switch or pull-out section of panel labeled MAIN in the service entrance to cut off current while working at a branch circuit box. 3. Identify the blown fuse. When a fuse blows, the transparent section becomes cloudy or blackened. 4. Replace the blown fuse with a new one of proper size. Socket fuses screw in and out just like a light bulb. Cartridge fuses, which are usually used in the pull-out section, can be removed by hand pressure. 5. Close the main switch, or replace pull-out section, to restore service. Throw away the blown fuse. Never put a penny behind a fuse. If you do, there is extreme danger that your house or building will burn down.   To Reset a Circuit Breaker 1. Identify which breaker is no longer in the ON position. 2. Move handle to OFF position. 3. Push handle past OFF position. 4. Return handle to ON position   Overhead Line Precautions Treat every overhead line as if it were a "live" line and dangerous; none are insulated Report any broken poles, trees on lines, or fallen lines to the Cooperative or to the police immediately Stay away from the area near where a tree has fallen on powerlines and warn others to stay away If a power line falls on a car or truck, do NOT touch the vehicle. Warn anyone inside the vehicle NOT to try to get out. Report the incident to the Cooperative or the police immediately. SPECIAL CONCERNS Construction Precautions When you plan an addition to a home or building, or are constructing an entirely new structure, scan the area overhead to see that there are no power lines that can create a safety hazard either during construction or when the building is completed. If you have questions about restrictions established by the National Electrical Safety Code, call the SVEC Engineering Department or one of the district offices. Remember that the existence of overhead electrical lines indicates that the Cooperative has a legal easement over the area beneath the lines and on either side which can limit the property owner’s right to build a structure near the lines. Before You Dig If you plan to dig on your property, be sure to inquire about the presence of any buried power, telephone, or water lines which may not be apparent. Digging, even with a shovel, can damage the lines, create a service outage, or cause serious personal injury. If you need assistance in locating buried lines, CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. To avoid costly damages or even loss of life, SVEC urges you to call the Cooperative at least three (3) working days before you plan to dig. For information about SVEC underground lines, call the Engineering Department at (423) 837-8605, your district office, or TN ONE CALL at 1-800-351-1111 before you dig.   Landscaping Most homeowners select landscape trees according to personal preferences, color schemes, and what’s on sale. However, planting a tree without considering its mature size can be a problem, especially if planted near a power line. Trees near power lines are hazards. A tree which can come into contact with overhead lines can interrupt power, causing power outages. Children or pets who climb such a tree can come into contact with a power line and be shocked, burned, or even electrocuted! Also, dead wood on stressed, unpruned trees in the vicinity of overhead lines can be a potential fire hazard. All high voltage distribution lines are constructed to meet or exceed the clearances required by the National Electrical Safety Code, thereby placing the line at approximately the height of a two story building. Planting a tree that will be over 20 feet tall at maturity near a power line not only creates a potential hazard, it almost ensures that the tree will become disfigured because of severe pruning cuts necessitated by the Cooperative’s need to trim trees to ensure reliability of service to its members. If you must plant near a power line, choose a small tree appropriate for the site which will not exceed a 20-foot maturity height or an ornamental tree, such as: dogwood, crabapple, redbud, etc. Other landscaping problems are associated with underground power lines. Of course, shrubs and trees should not be planted within the right-of-way area of the underground line. If it is necessary to dig up and repair such a line, the plants will also be dug up. The Cooperative’s easement specifies that SVEC has the right of access to its lines at all times. Another concern with underground lines are the plantings which members use to camouflage transformer boxes. SVEC servicemen must be able to get to the boxes to make repairs and connections. Also, the presence of shrubs next to a transformer impedes proper air circulation and the transformers will become overheated. Consequently, plantings are not permitted next to a transformer box. Meter Access If an electrician, contractor, or other craftsman is working on your wiring or installing special equipment, and finds it necessary to gain access to your meter installation, contact SVEC at once for instructions. No one is authorized to cut a meter seal or remove a meter except SVEC personnel. If you build an addition to your house or other building, do not enclose the outdoor meter base within the new structure. Electric meters must be accessible to Cooperative personnel at all times for the purposes of meter installation, reading, and maintenance, or for the removal of Cooperative property. In order for your meter to be read each month, the meter reader must have access to the meter. Please remember that vicious dogs, bushes and vines that cover the meter, locked gates, etc. prohibit the meter reader from efficiently doing his/her job. If the meter reader can not get to your meter, your electric usage will have to be estimated until access can be gained. Energy Theft Under Tennessee law, the stealing of electric energy or other unauthorized use of power by tampering with an electric meter, strapping over the meter base, or unlawfully reconnecting electric service which has been disconnected by SVEC can result in a fine and incarceration in a penal institution. The law provides that the person who has possession or control of the property is legally responsible for any acts of stealing electricity, even though that person may not have performed the act. It is not necessary to be caught in the act of tampering with a meter to be liable for prosecution. SVEC employees are trained to detect signs of meter tampering or other unlawful use of electricity. When such a situation is found, Cooperative personnel secure the assistance of the appropriate Sheriff’s department to investigate and file criminal charges. Members should recognize that when someone steals electricity from the Cooperative the rest of the members pay for that electricity in their bills. If you suspect someone of meter tampering or the stealing of electricity, please report it to your district office. The information will be kept confidential, and you will help save money for yourself and other honest members.