Power Outages, Downed Power Lines and Gas Leaks in San Diego: Who to Call

Electricity and natural gas in San Diego are delivered by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), a utility company. The City of San Diego does not run the power grid or the gas lines, so outages, downed power lines and gas leaks are reported to SDG&E, or to 911 when there is danger. SDG&E's main number for all of these is 1-800-411-7343 (also written 1-800-411-SDGE).

Some related problems do belong to the City: its own street lights, traffic signals and street trees. Those are covered further down.

SDG&E's downed power line page says fallen electric lines are extremely dangerous and can cause injury or even death. Its guidance:

• Do not touch it, and call 911 and SDG&E. SDG&E's power outage safety page says that if power lines are down, do not touch them, report any downed lines to 911 and call SDG&E immediately at 1-800-411-7343. Its storm safety page adds: stay away from and do not touch any downed power lines or equipment, and report them to the police or fire department and SDG&E.
• A line on your car. If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, SDG&E says to avoid stopping and keep driving away from the line. If the vehicle stalls, or hits a power pole or equipment such as a pad-mounted transformer box, stay inside and call 911; the ground around the vehicle may be energized. Do not get out until emergency crews say it is safe, and warn others not to touch the vehicle. If you must leave for safety reasons, open the door or window and jump clear without touching the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
• Do not try a rescue. SDG&E says freeing a person or animal from an electric line should only be attempted by a qualified electrical worker.

SDG&E does not give a set safe distance for a downed line on that page; it says to stay away and to call from a safe distance. Its 10-foot rule is for work near overhead lines: keep people, ladders, tools and equipment at least 10 feet away from the lines, and call 1-800-411-SDGE if lines will be in the way.

• Check whether it is only your home. SDG&E says that if your home goes dark but the street lights and your neighbor's house are still lit, it is likely a tripped circuit breaker rather than an outage. Its Report an Outage page walks through resetting a breaker, and says to stop and call a licensed electrician if you see burn marks, buzzing, unusual smells or water near the equipment, or if the breaker keeps tripping.
• Report it. If your neighbors do not have power either, SDG&E says to report the outage with its mobile app or by calling 1-800-411-SDGE. The Report an Outage page also has a virtual assistant, available 24/7, for submitting an outage inquiry.
• Check the outage map. SDG&E's outage map shows up-to-date outages in your area, with updates and restoration times. The Outage Center links to it and to planned-outage information.
• Sign up for alerts. SDG&E says to create or update an account in My Energy Center (sdge.com/MyEnergyCenter), keep your phone number and email current, and choose email or text in notification settings.
• During and after the outage. SDG&E suggests unplugging TVs, appliances and electronics, leaving one light switched on so you know when power returns, using flashlights rather than candles, and waiting a few minutes before turning electronics back on once power is restored.

During extreme fire weather, SDG&E may temporarily turn off power in certain areas. This is a Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS. SDG&E says it is used only when strong winds and dry conditions create a significant risk that electrical equipment could spark a wildfire. Your power can be shut off even when it is calm in your neighborhood, or if your lines are underground, because the line serving your area may pass through a high-risk location.

• Notifications. SDG&E says it begins notifying customers in an affected area about 48 hours before a possible PSPS, sends a follow-up about 24 hours before if a shutoff remains likely, confirms a few hours before with the expected start time, and notifies you when power is shut off and when it is restored. It may contact you by phone, text, email or all three. If you do not get alerts, update your contact information in My Energy Center.
• Alerts by SDGE app. SDG&E's Alerts by SDGE app gives real-time outage updates and estimated restoration times, can track up to five addresses without an account number, and can give directions to an open Community Resource Center. SDG&E also posts PSPS updates on SDGEtoday.com and its PSPS page shows a 7-day PSPS potential forecast.
• Community Resource Centers. During a PSPS, SDG&E opens Community Resource Centers in or near affected communities. SDG&E lists water, ice, snacks, Wi-Fi, phone and medical device charging and up-to-date outage information among what they offer. When none are open, the CRC page says so.
• How long it lasts. SDG&E says a PSPS can last from several hours to multiple days. Power is restored only after winds stay low and crews inspect the lines; crews need daylight to inspect, and critical facilities such as hospitals, fire stations and police stations are restored first.
• Extra help. If you have medical, access or functional needs, SDG&E points to 211 San Diego (call 2-1-1), which it says can connect you with community, health and disaster-related resources during a PSPS.

SDG&E's gas leaks page lists the signs of a leak: the distinctive odor of natural gas; hissing, whistling or roaring near an appliance, gas meter or pipeline; dirt, water or debris blowing into the air; or dead vegetation over a pipeline. It warns that you cannot always count on smelling gas, for example if you have a cold. What to do:

• Shutting off gas at the meter. SDG&E's emergency shut-off page says not to turn off gas at the meter unless your house piping is known or suspected to be leaking and you believe you are in danger, and only if it is safe. If you do turn it off, do not turn it back on yourself; call SDG&E at 1-800-411-7343 to restore service and relight pilot lights.
• Carbon monoxide. SDG&E's carbon monoxide page says CO cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, and recommends a CO detector on each floor of your home. If you think you have been exposed, turn off gas appliances if it is safe, ventilate the home or evacuate and call 911, and seek medical attention if necessary. Do not use the affected appliance until a qualified professional confirms it is safe; SDG&E can inspect natural gas appliances at 1-800-411-7343. SDG&E also says never to use a gas oven, barbecue or propane stove to heat your home.

• Have a backup plan. SDG&E's page for customers with medical devices says it cannot guarantee uninterrupted service, so anyone who depends on electricity for medical equipment should have a backup plan, such as a backup power system. It suggests working with your equipment supplier on an emergency plan, asking your local fire department whether it keeps a list of people with medical needs, and planning for medications that need refrigeration. If you are in a life-threatening situation and need medical equipment for life support, call 911.
• Medical Baseline Program. SDG&E's Medical Baseline Program is for households where someone has a qualifying medical condition or uses qualifying medical devices at home, such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP or dialysis machines. The application must be certified by a physician. SDG&E says enrolled customers may receive additional support during a PSPS, including in-person contact attempts by SDG&E or partner agencies.
• Generators. SDG&E says state law requires you to notify it if you will use a generator during an outage.
• Food. SDG&E says to avoid opening the fridge or freezer door, because cold air escapes and the food will not be re-cooled until power is restored. After a storm, it advises discarding contaminated food.

• Trees touching power lines are SDG&E's. SDG&E says to call 1-800-411-7343 to request an inspection if vegetation is growing close to a power line or transformer near your property, and that its tree pruning and removal is done at no cost to the property owner. Its vegetation management page has a map of when crews are scheduled in your area. The City's street tree maintenance page says a City-maintained tree affecting power lines in any way should be reported to SDG&E immediately at the same number. For other City street tree problems, see our street trees guide.
• Street lights are usually the City's. The City's Street Division is responsible for the streetlights in the City of San Diego. A light that is out is reported to the City, not as a power outage. SDG&E has a separate streetlighting outage report for lights it handles. See our street lights out guide.
• Traffic signals are the City's. The City's Street Division asks the public to report a traffic signal that is out or malfunctioning at 619-527-7500 as soon as possible, or through Get It Done. At a traffic light that is not working, the California Driver's Handbook says to stop as if the intersection is controlled by STOP signs in all directions, then proceed cautiously when it is safe. See our traffic signals and signs guide.

For other problems you can report to the City, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.