United Illuminating: Power Restored to Most Customers By Monday

The United Illuminating Company has projected it will complete service restoration to 95 percent of its customers before midnight on Monday, Nov. 5.

“We are proceeding full force to restore power to our customers as quickly and safely as possible,” said James P. Torgerson, chief executive officer of UIL Holdings, stated in a press release Thursday morning. “Our damage assessment, safety inspection and road clearing crews have been working around the clock to pave the way for line and service crews to restore power. Restoration crews already have restored electric service to approximately 92,340 customers who lost power during the storm. While damage assessment will continue, we are confident that we have gathered enough information to effectively allocate our resources where they are needed most to restore power.”

Power Outage Rates

According to UI, of 6 a.m. Thursday, some 107,968  electric customers still remained without power in the 17 towns and cities UI serves.

That number currently includes:

• East Haven - 33.88 percent without power or 4,397 customers
• North Haven - 33.18 percent without power or 3,640 customers
• North Branford - 6.19 percent without power or 208 customers

“We fully understand that the loss of electricity seriously disrupts people’s lives, and we have tapped into every resource at our disposal to restore electric service to all of our customers safely and as quickly as possible,” added Anthony J. Vallillo, UI president and chief operating officer. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit our region.”

Safety Tips Following a Storm

UI also reminds its customers to stay safe and follow these safety practices:

• Assume downed, damaged or dangling power lines are live and dangerous.
• Avoid anything in which these power lines might be in contact, such as trees or fences.
• Keep children and pets indoors and away from danger.
• Be mindful of the smell of natural gas.

How to Report Downed Lines, Outage

To report a downed power line, an electrical power outage, or natural gas odor, call your utility right away with the location and any specifics.

The toll-free numbers are:

• The United Illuminating Company: 800-7-CALL-UI (1-800-722-5584)
• Southern Connecticut Gas Company: 800-513-8898
• Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation: 866-924-5325
• Berkshire Gas Company: 800-292-5012