Occasionally, you may experience a temporary loss of power due to weather or other circumstances. Choose from the commonly-asked power and outage questions below to plan ahead, so you won't be left in the dark.
- What do I do if the power goes out?
- I'm having problems with my television. What are some possible causes?
- Is there anything I can do if I suspect I may have a Radio/Television Interference problem (RTVI)?
- What if I still have an RTVI problem? What should I do?
To print the answers to these questions, select "File" from your browser menu, and choose "Print".
1. What do I do if the power goes out?
Call SCE at 1-800-611-1911 anytime your electricity goes off for longer than a few minutes.
If any of your lights or electrical appliances are still working, you've blown fuse or tripped a circuit breaker. Replace the fuse or reset the circuit breaker to restore power to the affected areas of your home. Visit Circuit Breakers & Fuses for instructions on how to reset your circuit breaker or replace fuses.
Before you call SCE about a power outage, check if your neighbors' lights are off as well. It's very helpful if you can let us know if the power outage affects more than just your home.
If the outage is widespread, our phone lines may be busy when you call. Please be patient. Your information is important to us, since it may be our only report from your neighborhood at the time.
If you have noticed any fallen power lines, call SCE's emergency number immediately at 1-800-611-1911. STAY AWAY and keep others away from downed lines; they are dangerous and can cause serious injuries. For more information, visit Power Line Safety.
Click on Power Outages to find more information that can help you prepare for and understand these events.
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2. I'm having problems with my television reception. I also have problems getting my favorite AM radio station. What are some possible causes?
You may be suffering "Radio and Television Interferences" (RTVI), which may also be affecting your neighbors' radios and televisions.
There are potential sources of interference all over your house.
Heating pads, door bell transformers, photocell light switches, fish tanks and pumps, baby wipe warmers, touch lamps, dimmer switches, and home lighting photocell switches are just a few of the many possible sources of RTVI. For more information, visit RTVI Request.
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3. Is there anything I can do if I suspect I may have a Radio/Television Interference (RTVI) problem?
Here is a simple test to check your home for RTVI:
- Go to your main circuit breaker box.
- Listen to the interference on a battery-operated radio.
- Turn the main breaker off.
If you follow this procedure and the noise goes away, then the RTVI problem is coming from your home.
If there is still interference, follow these additional steps:
- Turn the circuit break main on.
- Wait for the interference to start again.
- Follow this same procedure for each of the sub-breakers, one at a time.
Once you pinpoint which circuit the device causing the interference is plugged into, perform these final steps to resolve the problem:
- Turn all the breaks to "on," except the one that stopped the noise.
- Find out what electrical equipment is connected to that circuit by checking the doorbell, fish tanks, heating pads, electric blankets, dimmer switches, sonic pest control devices, and other appliances.
If you follow all of these steps and still have an RTVI problem, the cause may be in your neighbor's home.
4. What if I still have a problem? What should I do?
If you've performed the RTVI check above and you're still experiencing interference problems, call SCE at 1-800-655-4555 for help locating the source.
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