Question: Has anyone here ever experienced a "planned" electrical outage?

[KitchenWitch]

We just got a notice today that our electric company is having a planned electrical outage in our area next week. It is planned for 8 am to 4 pm next Wednesday.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? Back in MN, there were never planned outages, and the unplanned ones (unless weather related) were only about an hour or two long.

I am freaking.

[LSK]

1. go watch "The Smartest Guys in the Room"

And welcome to the state of Enron.

[KitchenWitch]

2. Yeah, that is kind of what I am afraid of.

:eyes:

Oh well.

I am hoping that the weather pattern we are in right now sticks around until next Thursday...

[reyd reid reed]

3. Eight.

Fucking. Hours????

Damn.

:scared:

[KitchenWitch]

5. I am holding out hope that they are under promising and over delivering

Meaning that they tell us we will be out for 8 hours and actually only end up out for 3-4.

[reyd reid reed]

7. Still...

what are you supposed to do with the groceries in your freezer? They gonna replace the ice cream? All the security systems that are going to go down when the power goes down...

Oh, criminy.

:scared:

[KitchenWitch]

9. I know

Thankfully my fridge and freezer are completely full, so if I do not open them, things should be okay.

I am actually more worried about the A/C. If it gets to be 95* out on that day, the house is going to take forever to cool down.

[reyd reid reed]

11. A/C?

Damn...do you realize, I've never in my life lived in a house with A/C? Not even when I lived in Los Angeles. When it got too hot, we'd go down the street to our neighbor's...he didn't have A/C either, but he had a huge tree in his front yard -- and we'd spend the afternoon sitting under the tree.

[KitchenWitch]

17. We do not have it on constantly here

We did in Minnesota, because, well, 95* with 98% humidity is just fuggin ungodly.

But if it is hot, we will probably head to the beach.

[Louis C. Phurye]

4. Yes, a while ago.

The utility company phoned and said the lights would go out. I think it was for a half a day or so. Working on the lines or at least that was the excuse they used, which sounds like a catch all for a utility company.

[KitchenWitch]

6. Yeah, that is what they told me when I called their customer disservice line.

"upgrading" our system...

[BrotherBuzz]

8. We had a few in California back in 2000 thanks to Enron boys el al..

My business experienced a couple, while my house didn't because the police station, which is on the on the same circuit, was excluded from the power outage.

Oh yeah, last year the power company notified us of a planned power outage in our neighborhood for scheduled maintenance. We were told to expect an eight hour blackout, it only lasted three.

[KitchenWitch]

10. I am in California.

Yikes. :yoiks:

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Might be a good day to visit the beach, no?

:)

[KitchenWitch]

16. I was thinking that - my daughter gets out of school at 11:30

It definitely would be a good beach day, or if it is a cool day, we have Disney passports we could use.

[BrotherBuzz]

21. Pack the cooler and go - enjoy!

Disney passports? Is that like a season pass, and you get in free? Cool, I like Disneyland on many levels. Lots of sensory magic happening there.

[KitchenWitch]

22. Yes, passports are annual passes.

My daughter is at the exact right age to enjoy Disney, so we got the annual passes (they cost a bit for the three of us, after three visits they are paid for - because of how much single day admission is).

If it is warm, we are going to the beach, if it is cool, we go to Disney.

:woohoo:

[BrotherBuzz]

29. That'a a plan Stan!

:)

[AlCzervik]

12. yup, a few years ago they used to take us off the grid for a few hours at a time

"power shortage" and in reality we were getting fucked over by Enron and the rest of them, thanks Pete Wilson for deregulating California's power--you suck.

[Whoa_Nelly]

13. Has happened here several times

It's usually the elec. co. doing upgrades of some sort. Last one last summer was in the middle of the fucking summer...over 100 out, and no A/c for 4 hours.

But, it's no biggie. You're lucky it's now and not in July :pals:

[KitchenWitch]

18. True!

[AlCzervik]

20. omg last July was awful!! yahoo said "current temp 117F, feels like 124F"

of course that was the week my a/c died.

[KitchenWitch]

23. Oh man!

x(

[AlCzervik]

25. ain't it grand? Actually i do love it here and i wouldn't move back

east unless it was something too wonderful to pass up, we've been here for 7 years now and i've really grown to love this state. You know how i knew i was really a citizen of ca? One day i was on the highway and i saw this really nice Mercedes, one the bigger ridiculously expensive ones and i thought "Gee thats a nice ride but it really needs different wheels" seriously.

[KitchenWitch]

28. ROFL

I saw a custom Benz today that was done up El Camino style. Only in California! RICH mullet car!

:rofl:

[BrotherBuzz]

27. Days like that, I visit the frozon food section at the market...

and set up camp with my patio chaise lounge chair. Cool. Don't forget spoons and towels when you hit the Ice cream section. Pistachio and Bing Cherry are aways a good choice.

[AlCzervik]

30. next time my a/c croaks i'm hanging at your house Buzz.

[BrotherBuzz]

32. Umm, we don't have an a/c -it's the first thing I tossed out of the house twenty years ago

But our Carnegie library is just a two block stroll away and it is pleasantly cool; we could demonize the computer section and get some real work done. They just started allowing coffee drinks inside, too. A Cappuccino Vov would be my drink of choice.

[REP]

15. Yes - I Live In California

I used to live in a block that had rotating outages; currently my block is exempt. I have no idea if it's because of my medical equipment, but our block was unlisted after I called and asked if we could at least have some notice because of my medical use.

[KitchenWitch]

19. Wow

Good to know that they are somewhat responsive to people's medical needs.

[REP]

24. Could Have Been Coincidence

Sometimes they change blocks, and my could have changed right around the time I called. On the other hand, the people who answer the phones at PGE are largely pretty decent (or have been the few times I've called).

[KitchenWitch]

26. Well, I hope, for your sake, that it is that they are being responsive to your needs

and not a random chance thing.

[uppityperson]

31. Yes, when they have needed to do a bunch of work on stuff.

Nothing to freak about, just don't plan on using power then, keep fridge shut, that sort of stuff. Good luck

[Heidi]

33. Yes, we had one here on Tuesday.

Fortunately, I was in Lausanne, so Call Me Wesley had to figure out on his own how to make coffee without electricity. :evilgrin:

[KitchenWitch]

35. Shit, I would have PAID to watch THAT!

:rofl:

[Heidi]

37. If I had only known there was a market for CMW's coffee making without electricity

"prowess," I would have PM'd you in advance, gf. :rofl: :spray:

[KitchenWitch]

38. I am a simple woman with simple entertainment tastes!

:rofl:

[FloridaJudy]

34. Only if they're working on the lines

Doesn't happen often, and there's never been anything sinister about it.

At least you have a warning. You can try to get dry ice for the fridge/freezer to prevent spoilage. As for the AC (and it's unbearable here in Florida without it), I head to the Public Library rather than the beach. It's much cooler, and I don't have to pack sunscreen.

Of course, for the last three summers we have had unplanned outages due to hurricanes. The worst lasted three weeks: I'd much rather have a series of planned outages so they could put the 'effin utility lines underground, where they belong. Having them over head in a state that regularly gets hit with heavy storms is insane. Not only do we get outages, but you can count on people getting fried by downed lines. I was once trapped inside for days by a power line lying in the middle of the street. That was after Wilma, when I was staying in South Florida.

I expect it to get worse with FEMA in the hands of incompetents, and the Guard's equipment rotting in Iraq.

[KitchenWitch]

36. All our stuff is underground here

But the neighboring communities have their stuff above ground.

I hear you about storms and above ground wiring - recipe for major inconvenience.

And do not get me started on the Guard and FEMA. I have relatives in Florida, and I have heard how bad it can be.