Home > Storm Central > Storm FAQs

How long will my power be out?
It is impossible to give an exact time. During storms, all of our crews will be out working around the clock to restore power to everyone as quickly as possible.

I have a sick relative on oxygen. What should I do?
Unfortunately, we cannot promise when a customer's power will be restored. It may be a good idea if the person on oxygen is transported either to the hospital or to a location that does have power. If no one can provide transportation, the customer may want to consider calling 911 for assistance.

My relative is listed as a Greenville Utilities' Priority Customer. Does that mean her power will get back on more quickly?
If they are on the list, Greenville Utilities is able to identify the person as having special needs. However, being on the list does not guarantee when power will be restored.

I just saw a GUC truck ride by, but it didn't stop. Why not?
To make our storm plan as efficient as possible, we send out damage assessment teams or "spotters" to determine the type of problem, the proper equipment and crew needed to restore service. Customers shouldn't be alarmed when a Greenville Utilities vehicle drives by without stopping. The sight of that vehicle means help is on the way.

Please be assured that all of our crews are out working around the clock to restore power to everyone as quickly as possible.

I have wires down in my yard. What should I do?
The wires could be live, so STAY AWAY and call us immediately at either 551-1567 or 752-5627.

The food in my refrigerator/freezer is starting to thaw.
Unfortunately we can't guarantee when a customer's power will be restored. We can promise that our crews will get to you as quickly as possible.

Remember that food will last longer if you keep the refrigerator door shut. As far as the safety of food after a lengthy power outage ... the best advice we can give is "when in doubt, throw it out."

I don't see any power lines down, so why is my power out?
Outages occur for many reasons. You may not see any lines down near your house, but closer to the substation a tree may have fallen on this your circuit. There could be several reasons for the outage, ranging from lines being down to a breaker being tripped off line.

My power's been restored, but my TV, radio, etc. still don't work. Why?
First, check the breakers to make sure they are all on. It may be that they have a test breaker on a particular outlet that was tripped.

Since there is partial power, if we send a crew to the location and the problem is found to be on the customer's side of the meter -- the customer will have to pay a service charge. If the problem is on the utility side of the meter, Greenville Utilities will repair the problem at no cost to the customer.

Since partial power can damage appliances, the customer should cut the power off at the breaker until repairs are made.

My meter base has been pulled from the house. What do I need to do to get my power restored?
If your meter base is pulled from the house, you will need to hire a licensed electrician to repair the damage. Once the repairs have been made, please contact Greenville Utilities to have the service re-connected. In this instance, if the repairs are made in a timely manner (within two weeks) the customer will not be required to obtain an inspection. However, if the repairs are not made within that timeframe, an inspection will be required.

City Inspection 329-4466
County Inspection 902-3150