As of Sunday morning, approximately 18,000 outages remain in the eastern region of Palestine, Lufkin and Nacogdoches and southern region of Killeen, Round Rock and Temple following the ice storm on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Oncor.
Oncor said work will continue around the clock until all customers who can safely receive power have been restored.
"We expect the majority of storm restoration to be complete in these areas today," Oncor said on Sunday morning.
Oncor said their online Storm Center map identifies all current outages throughout their service area, which serves more than 10 million Texans in more than 400 communities, making up nearly one-third of the state’s geographic area.
"Oncor constantly responds to new power outages from a variety of issues throughout the state. It is important to distinguish the cold weather/storm-related outages of this week from separate outage events," the statement said.
Oncor provided the following Frequently Asked Questions:
FAQ’s
Q: Why is it taking so long to restore my power?
Restoration efforts have been hindered by two main factors. First, hazardous road conditions that greatly slow the time it takes for Oncor trucks and personnel to reach areas of repair, and pick up and deliver equipment to work sites. While temperatures finally rise above freezing, partially melting and refreezing ice may exacerbate these travel challenges. Second, we continue to identify damaged equipment as a result of transformers having to quickly power back up massive amounts of energy after the controlled outages concluded. This damage is somewhat comparable to blowing a fuse when you plug too many devices into one outlet in your home. While this damage may temporarily prevent the equipment from powering up every connected customer in the area, personnel will aim to restore as many as possible to provide relief before replacement equipment can be installed. In some instances, personnel may leave the area to work on other nearby repairs while replacement equipment or additional workers are in route. This does not mean that Oncor has closed the outage or that we will not prioritize its full restoration.
Q: How will this week’s outages affect the Oncor charges on my bill?
Oncor delivers electricity that you buy from your Retail Electric Provider (REP). Oncor bills the REP for the cost to deliver electricity to your home, so the bulk of Oncor charges on your residential electric bill are based on the amount of electricity you use. If you have been without power for an extended period of time, and have therefore used less electricity, it’s likely that your Oncor charges will be lower for this billing cycle. Your bill is also based on the rate charged by your REP, which varies based on which REP and plan you signed up for.
Q: My power has been out but my interval usage data is still tracking electricity – why?
If your monthly meter reading occurs during an extended power outage, as many Texans experienced this week, Oncor may not be able communicate with a meter to determine the exact usage. In these situations, the current monthly usage reading used for billing may be estimated based on your previous usage. However, once power has been restored, we’ll obtain the actual usage from the meter, resend it to Smart Meter Texas and make it available to your REP – who will rebill if they find it necessary after receiving the updated readings.
Q: Why does everyone else have power in my area except me?
In many instances, your neighbor may have electric service when you don’t because their home is on a different set of lines or circuit. If your neighbor was without power and is now restored, and you are still without power, please check the circuit breaker at the property. You should also examine the meter base and weatherhead to ensure they have not been damaged or pulled off. If that has occurred, customers need to contact an electrician to make necessary repairs before Oncor can restore power. We also continue to identify damaged equipment as a result of transformers having to quickly power back up massive amounts of energy after the controlled outages concluded. This damage is somewhat comparable to blowing a fuse when you plug too many devices into one outlet in your home. While this damage may temporarily prevent the equipment from powering up every connected customer in the area, personnel will aim to restore as many as possible to provide relief before replacement equipment can be installed. In some instances, personnel may leave the area to work on other nearby repairs while replacement equipment is in route. This does not mean that Oncor has closed the outage or that we will not prioritize its full restoration.
Q: Why does my outage status show “restored” on the app, but I still have no power?
Please first check the circuit breaker at the property. If power is still not restored after checking the breaker, please report it by calling 888-313-4747, texting OUT to 66267, using the MyOncor app or visiting Oncor.com. Additional damage may exist at your location that Oncor was not previously aware of when making the original repairs. Due to the large amounts of system activity surrounding power restoration, it may take some time for our tracking systems to accurately reflect your current status.
