More than 1,100 BC Hydro customers in Fort St. John are expected to lose power temporarily as the utility carries out planned work next week.
On Sept. 2, some 1,156 customers are expected to be without power from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. while crews replace a pole.
BC Hydro said the work is needed to maintain the electrical system and keep it operating safely and efficiently.
Some projects require power lines to be de-energized so crews can safely complete the work, which can temporarily interrupt service for nearby customers.
The utility says several factors are considered when determining when planned outages will take place, including weather, traffic, community events, school schedules and the availability of specialized workers.
BC Hydro also recommends turning off electric heaters and major appliances before an outage and unplugging sensitive electronics.
Once power is restored, customers are encouraged to turn on only essential appliances for the first hour to help prevent the system from becoming overloaded.
Customers can check planned and current outages through BC Hydro’s outage list.
Power outages can be reported to BC Hydro at 1-800-224-9376.
