- Most customers will be restored by midnight Sunday
- Over 861,000 clients have been restored to date
- Restoration hours have been posted for all Duke Energy counties in Florida
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida., October 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Duke Energy Florida expects 90% of its outages to be restored by Sunday evening as it strives to restore the vast majority of customers by midnight.
- The current estimated recovery time (ETR) for 90% of DEF customers in Not co and pinelles counties is at the latest today at 11:59 p.m.
- The current ETR for 90% of DEF customers in Highlands, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties is no later than 11:59 p.m. SundayOctober 2.
Duke Energy has reached out to its transmission-served customers with information about their specific ETR.
“Our teams are working tirelessly to restore power throughout our Florida territory,” said Melissa Seixas, state chairman of Duke Energy in Florida. “We are aiming for the vast majority of our customers to be well by Sunday evening. We know there are pockets of hard hit areas that will require more extensive work. We are grateful for the patience of those who don’t. ‘have no power and we will continue to do everything possible to restore service as quickly as possible.”
From 4 p.m., the company restored more than 861,000 customers, with approximately 171,000 customers still without power. Duke Energy Florida serves 1.9 million customers in the state.
Reasons why you may not be fed at the scheduled time
Sometimes customers may see a neighbor’s lights come back on while they are still without power. Some explanations :
- Parts of the neighborhood may be served by different routes, and not all routes return at the same time.
- There may also be a problem with their individual service line or meter.
If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is any damage, an electrician will need to make the repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.
If the meter box is removed from a customer’s home or mobile home service pole and power is not received, the homeowner is responsible for contacting an electrician to reattach the meter box and /or provide a permanent solution. In some cases, an electrical inspection may be required by the county before Duke Energy can reconnect service. An electrician can advise customers on the next steps.
For rooftop solar panel owners, solar panels do not guarantee power during an outage, as they operate in part using power from the Duke Energy grid. Two exceptions are installing an off-grid solar system or installing an energy storage method, such as batteries.
10,000 resources in Florida
Duke Energy has 10,000 workers — powerline technicians, damage assessors and vegetation workers — across Florida restore power. Many crews were brought in from other states ahead of the storm.
Localized flooding in some areas hampered the company’s ability to restore power.
During restoration, workers may not be visible in every affected neighborhood, as the first priority is to repair major power lines and other infrastructure that will restore power to as many customers as quickly and safely as possible. . Click here for more information on how Duke Energy restores power.
Keep customers informed
Customers who experience a power outage can report it as follows:
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop or mobile device.
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app – download the Duke Energy app from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.
- Text 57801 (standard text and data rates may apply).
- Call the automated outage reporting system at 800.228.8485.
There is also an interactive outage map where customers can find up-to-date power outage information, including total system-wide outages and estimated recovery times.
The company will also provide regular updates to customers and communities through email, text, outbound phone calls, social media and its website, which includes power outage maps.
Security Recommendations
- Stay away from downed or sagging power lines. Consider all live lines, as well as trees, branches, fences, or anything in contact with the lines.
- If a power line falls across a car you are in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other life-threatening situation, do your best to get out of the car and land on both feet. Make sure no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
- A generator can be very useful during a power outage, but remember to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure safe and proper operation.
- Please watch for utility crews and turn off the generator when crews are in your area. The electrical charge on power lines can be dangerous for crews performing repairs.
- Run your generator outdoors. Never use it inside a building or garage.
- Electric current flows easily through water, so stay away from downed power lines and wires. Do not drive over downed power lines or stand near them.
For more tips during and after the storm, visit duke-energy.com/StormTips.
For company updates, visit dukeenergyupdates.com.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers over a 13,000 square mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, Caroline from the south, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively possess 50,000 megawatts of power capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, Caroline from the south, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to meet its goals of net methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least 50% carbon reduction from power generation by 2030 and net emissions carbon emissions by 2050. Zero goals also include Scope 2 emissions and some Scope 3 emissions. zero-emission power generation such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “America’s Top Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains press releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community issues and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on TwitterLinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media Line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS
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