Winter Preparedness

Skiing, ice skating, sledding … winter is filled with wonderful ways to get out and have fun. But sometimes, blizzards keep residents indoors, where they rely on electricity to keep the elements at bay. Unfortunately, occasional power outages can occur. Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, our local power provider, encourages owner-members to take the following steps to help ensure that they remain safe and warm in the event of an outage, while the Fall River team fixes the problem.

Fill the Gaps. Before winter arrives, check weather stripping around doors and windows. Are there cracks or gaps? And are your windows properly insulated? Fall River offers home efficiency rebates for replacing those sub-standard windows and doors.

Add Insulation. Intense cold can cause pipes to freeze and burst. A simple and inexpensive defense is to buy pipe wrap insulation at the hardware store and wrap your water pipes. For help, Fall River will perform an energy audit to check efficiency and offer tips. The audit is not free, but the cooperative offers rebates for owner-members.

Be Proactive. Plan ahead by putting together an outage kit, and make sure everyone in the family knows where to access it. Include a battery-operated or battery-free crank radio, flashlights, extra batteries, warm blankets, outerwear, socks, and drinking water. Visit FallRiverElectric.com for more information.