Are you a GVEC member? Do you have a mobile phone? Is that number registered to your GVEC account? You may already be set up to use TextPower™!
What is TextPower?
TextPower is a multifaceted text-message-based electric outage reporting system. It allows you to notify your Cooperative of an outage by text, responds to your text with estimated time of power restoration, can notify you when service has been restored and more. It can even alert you to outages and restoration without a text from you—more on that on below.
How Do I Sign Up for TextPower?
If you’ve got a GVEC member account with a mobile number on file, you’re probably already signed up—no further action needed! If you’ve got multiple cellphones in your household, you can add up to two additional TextPower numbers to the same account—for a total of three.
How Does the TextPower Outage Reporting Feature Work?
TextPower outage reporting is as simple as O-U-T! Just text those three letters—OUT—to 800.223.4832. “OUT” is only part of what TextPower can do. A list of all TextPower menu options is shown below and in the graphic above. Save the number to your phone, and anytime there’s an outage, you’re all set!
With TextPower, Outage Reporting is a Two-Way Street
If you’re signed up, TextPower is designed to send automatic notification when your location appears to be experiencing an outage and a follow-up when power’s restored. Of course, if your power goes out and you don’t receive notification, just use the TextPower outage reporting feature to let us know about it! You might be thinking, “TextPower sounds convenient, but how can I know GVEC got my message? How can I find out how long will it be before my power is restored?” TextPower can indeed provide such information; that’s because TextPower outage reporting is two-way. Here’s how it works:
OUT
– When you text “OUT” to 800.223.4832, the message goes to our Cooperative Control Center (CCC). In response, you’ll quickly get a confirmation message that your outage is being worked on.
STATUS
– Text “STATUS,” and you’ll get an estimate of the time needed to restore power. It’s important to remember that you might not receive an instant response. GVEC crews need up to 45 minutes to reach the site, assess the problem and start work.
HELP
– Text “HELP” to 800.223.4832 for the text message menu and GVEC’s contact number
QUIT
– If you no longer want to use TextPower, simply text QUIT to be removed from the system.
Call Us for More Information About TextPower
If you have additional questions about TextPower, call us at 800.223.4832. Our representatives can answer your questions and add additional phone numbers to your account, too (you can also add numbers by logging into GVEC’s SmartHub portal).
