When storms and outages occur, Westfield Gas + Electric wants to make sure that their customers have the best possible information about their electric service.
Recently, customers got a glimpse of the WG+E Outage Tracker at wgeld.org/promo/outage-tracker. The online map shows the areas of town affected by any verified power outage, the extent of any issues, and, when known, an estimate for when service will be restored. In addition, customers have the option to report an outage at their location with a few clicks and request a one-time notification when service has been restored.
Changes have also been made to the dispatch phone line which allow customers to call 413-572-000 and register an outage using an automated system. As always, a live dispatcher is available 24 hours a day to report gas service issues or other emergencies.
“Everyone wants to know when a service issue is being addressed and how long it will be until the lights are back on,” notes General Manager Tom Flaherty, Sr. “The Outage Tracker will help us provide this information in a timely manner allowing our crews to focus on correcting the issues safely.”
Next week is the launch of the final pieces of the Outage Tracker, a two-way texting option and a custom WG+E mobile app. Customers are encouraged to try both options but should be aware that they may receive duplicate messages if registered for them at the same time.
TWO-WAY TEXTING
Starting June 27, customers with a mobile phone number on their WG+E account will receive a welcome text from WG+E. In the event that your power goes out you can simply text OUT and the issue will be registered and addressed. You will receive occasional updates of our progress and a final text when service is restored. (Standard text rates will apply.) If you would like to be able to report power outages by text, you may wish to save that number in your phone for easy access.
If you are not interested in using texting to contact WG+E, simply respond STOP and you will not receive any further notifications.
Didn’t receive the invite? Visit wgeld.org/promo/outage-alerts to register with your cell phone and account numbers.
MOBILE APP
Customers can also report outages and receive notifications with the new WG+E Outage Tracker mobile application. Download the app to your Apple or Android phone and then connect your address using your account number. Once registered, you will automatically receive a message when service is out at your address and additional notifications as it is being restored. The app outage map displays any current issues and estimated restoration time, if available.
Learn more about all the ways you can keep track of power issues at our Outage Center page at wgeld.org/category-pages/outage-center