ROANOKE, Va., December 15, 2010 – Although winter officially begins Tuesday, parts of Appalachian Power’s territory have already experienced winter weather and other areas are preparing for snow, sleet and ice in the next few days. Appalachian Power reminds customers to take steps to become better prepared for power outages should they occur during the winter months ahead.

“Customers need to know how to report an outage, and we’ve got some new tools to help,” said Phil Wright, vice president of distribution operations. “If there is a weather related outage, customers should have an emergency kit prepared and know how to stay safe when power lines are down.”

If a customer loses electricity, it should be reported to Appalachian Power. Outages may be reported on www.AppalachianPower.com or by calling Appalachian Power’s toll-free number (Tennessee – 1-800-967-4237, Virginia – 1-800-956-4237, West Virginia – 1-800-982-4237).  During times of high call volume callers may hear a recorded message. Even if a customer does not speak with a Customer Solutions Center representative, he or she is urged to leave a voice message about the outage. To report a power outage, customers will need to provide their phone number or address.
           
Customers can now use their mobile devices (such as a web-enabled cell phone, iPhone or Android device) to report outages online at AppalachianPower.com

The mobile site allows customers to report an outage, see the outages in their area (by county) and get detailed information on major storms. Customers can also find outage safety tips and contact information.
 
If widespread power outages occur, Appalachian posts information about restoration efforts on www.AppalachianPower.com. An outage map is updated every three minutes.
                                                   
The following are a few tips for coping with outages:
 

• Never touch a downed wire. Always treat this situation as dangerous. Report this condition by phone or online as soon as possible. Keep others away.
• Prepare an emergency kit with flashlights, a battery-powered lamp and fresh batteries; battery-powered radio or television; water for drinking and cooking; instructions for manually opening power-operated garage doors; manual can opener.
• Do not open freezer doors. This will keep foods frozen longer. Minimize opening refrigerator doors as well.
• Disconnect (trip the breaker in your electrical panel) major heating and cooling equipment .
• Leave just one or two lights switched on to let you know when power is restored. Once power is restored, turn on appliances gradually.  Electric utilities can have problems with what is called “cold load pick-up” following outages as customer demand surges when service is restored. That can cause additional outages.
• If the temperatures dip below freezing and the power outage is projected to last overnight or longer, consider moving to a shelter or in with friends or relatives who do have electricity.
• If you leave your house, protect your water pipes from freezing by turning the water off at the main shutoff valve and opening faucets to drain the water.

More information can be found on www.AppalachianPower.com in the section “Outages & Problems.”

Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.
                                                      ###