Bob Pierce answers questions about energy efficiency, consumer products, and cooperative governance. He is Clearwater Power’s Chief Operating Officer and welcomes your questions on our Ask Bob page.
How do I report an outage if I have multiple accounts but only one is out?
This is an excellent question. Each meter is considered an account, so if you have more than one meter—such as one for a home and another for a shop or well pump—you have multiple accounts.
Any time you report an outage, the more specific the information we get, the faster we can respond.
If you use the SmartHub app to report an outage, you will see a list of all the accounts in your name. Select the account that is out. If you call in to report the outage, you can provide your five-digit account number or use the description on the account to let us know which account is out. This description is listed on your bill and could be something such as “residence” or “shop.”
The same is true if you see a problem that may be causing the outage, such as a tree on the line. Call and speak to a person so you can share as many details as possible.
If safe to do so, let us know a nearby pole number. These are indicated by metal stencils nailed to the pole and will help us direct line crews to the exact spot.
When an outage is from an unknown cause, much of the restoration time is spent patrolling the line looking for the problem. Reports from our members can help shorten outage duration by letting us know exactly which accounts are out and where a specific problem is located.