Question: At about 5 p.m. Feb. 13, we lost power, although a few houses on our street in Waipahu still had power. I reported the outage to Hawaiian Electric Co. The recording said we should have power back at about 7 p.m. That did not happen. HECO updated its outage message but with no time given. I tuned in different radio stations on my portable radio, but there was no news about any outage on Oahu.
Almost 20 hours later our power was restored at about 1 p.m. the next day. Other homes on our street got power back later. That evening, watching TV news, only then did I hear about power outages on Oahu and the neighbor islands.
During the outage I tried getting information through my cellphone with no success. The Internet is useless without electricity, and what about people who do not have access to the Internet, especially the older generation? Telephone numbers should be given by the news media to help residents without Internet access. Is it possible for HECO to send text alerts during outages to customers with cellphones so we are not literally kept in the dark about what is going on? Fortunately, we did not sustain major damage to our house as others did.
Answer: HECO relies on social media and the news media to provide information during outages, said spokesman Peter Rosegg.
It does not send text messages or use the Nixle email and text alert/advisory system favored by many public safety agencies (see bit.ly/1w46ktz).
"Nixle is used for a variety of notifications," Rosegg acknowledged. However, "other Nixle users and our customers are better served if we use communications channels unique to our utilities."
He said the news media are provided updates on the status of outages and restoration, while HECO’s social media team "works hard to keep customers up to date on system and neighborhood outages."
Outage updates are sent out on Twitter via the following accounts and hashtags: Oahu — @HwnElectric and #OahuOutage; Maui County — @MauiElectric and #MauiOutage, #MolokaiOutage and #LanaiOutage; and Hawaii Island — @HIElectricLight and #BigIslandOutage.
"Additionally, we display Twitter outage feeds on company websites for those who don’t follow social media," Rosegg said. "We post updates on emergency situations on Facebook, Google+ and Instagram."
However, depending on the situation, it’s not possible to keep the public and affected customers always informed about the progress of restoring power, he said.
A case in point: the heavy winds and storms Feb. 13 to 15, when HECO crews sometimes had to cut their way through fallen trees and plants to access downed lines.
"Reaching remote areas that cannot be accessed by car or truck is time-consuming," Rosegg said. "In stormy weather affecting service in many areas with dynamic conditions, it is difficult to provide precise restoration times."
Rosegg said you did the right thing in reporting the outage by calling 855-304-1212.
"We apologize for not returning service as quickly as we at first thought possible," he said. "We understand how important restoration times are for our customers so they can make their own plans. We do our best to help our customers understand what to expect. However, actual restoration depends on conditions our crews find in the field."
Mahalo
To the outstanding employees of Longs Drugs in Kaimuki. I recently lost an item while shopping there, and after a few days it was returned to me. It did not surprise me this happened because all the employees we encountered that day were helpful in so many ways. One of the managers even assisted my elderly parent to the restroom and made sure she got in and out safely. Initially, my intent was simply to thank the store for contacting me about my lost item, but I found it more appropriate to credit the store for its exceptional customer service!
— J. Nakamura
Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
