Power Outages and Emergencies

About Power Outages

The City of Newark Electric Department crews respond quickly to repair the lines during a power outage. City of Newark Lineworkers are regularly scheduled on a shift from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and are on Standby from 4p.m. until 8 a.m. They are assigned to make an assessment of the problem and make repairs.

Occasionally, the problem is not with the electrical lines to your house – it is at your house. For instance, the meter base, the service mast, or conduit above your electric meter, the weatherhead at the top of the mast, and the point of attachment all belong to you, not the City of Newark Electric Department. If any of this electrical equipment on your house is damaged, you will need to contact a licensed electrical contractor to do the repair work.

Outage Management System

The City of Newark Electric Department deployed an outage management system (OMS) in August, 2025. To report an outage or non-outage emergency, call 302-366-7000 at any time and follow the menu items to report the issue. To opt-in to our texting system, text 'opt' to 302-366-7000. Once opted in, you may text 'out' to report an outage. You may also text 'status' to receive the status of your power. You will receive text notifications about planned and unplanned outages affecting you. To view our outage map and/or report an outage through the web portal, go to https://outages.newarkde.gov/outages.

For both calling and texting to work properly, please be sure that your contact information is up-to-date. Call Payments and Utility Billing at 302-366-7000 to make an update to your account. 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

It is crucial that when calling in off-hours to report an outage or non-outage emergency, if you have information that would help our crews solve the problem in a timely manner, that you leave it in a voicemail. For example, if reporting an outage, perhaps you heard a loud bang or saw a flash. That information helps the crew pinpoint the outage location and restore power more quickly. Or if reporting a non-outage emergency, perhaps you see a downed electric wire at a certain location or a pole on fire. Providing that information in a voicemail is crucial so the crew may respond to the emergency quickly and ensure nobody is harmed. If the emergency is deemed urgent/severe, it is always a good idea to call 911 immediately. 

If the Power Goes Out

If the power goes out, check your fuse or breaker for blown fuses or tripped circuits. If they're okay, check to see if your neighbors are without power. If all your neighbors have power, and the outage is related to your service only, chances are the problem is with one of your fuses or breakers.

Call the City of Newark Electric Department at 366-7000 immediately to report the outage. Please call only once so other customers can get through. If you get a recorded message, then all lines are busy while other customers call to report outages. When you speak with a City of Newark representative, it will be helpful if you can provide answers to the following questions:

  • What is your street, address, and the nearest cross street?
  • What is your telephone number so we can call you back if needed?
  • Are your lights dim or out?
  • Are your neighbors' lights out?
  • Is a power line down? (Never touch a downed power line.)
  • Did a tree limb fall on a power line? If so, provide the address of the property where the limb fell on the line.
  • Is there any damage to a nearby utility pole or other electrical equipment?
  • Are nearby streetlights out?
  • Did you hear a noise such as an explosion, or see an electrical arc (flash)?

Also, be sure to:

  • Turn off all electrical equipment, including your water heater, electric furnace or heaters, stove, washer and dryer, stereo and TV, to help prevent overloading the system or power surges when power is restored (Major appliances can be turned off at the breaker box.
  • Turn on a porch light and one inside light so you and the City of Newark Electric Department crews will know when service is restored.
  • Listen to a radio (battery powered) for updates on major storm outages.

If your neighbors' power comes back on and yours does not, call the City of Newark Electric Department at 302-366-7000.

Be Prepared

Severe weather might cause damage interrupting your electric service. Every household should have an emergency kit tucked into a cupboard in case of a power outage. See the American Red Cross Power Outage Checklist for a list to prepare.