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Power Outages

To report any life-threatening conditions, please call 911.

Report an outage

To report an outage, you will need your phone number, 12-digit account number or 6-digit meter number. Your account and meter numbers can be found on your monthly billing statement.

Help us serve you better by updating your contact information (phone numbers and email address). Our automated system will match your information to your service address when you call or go online to report an outage.

Choose from any of these convenient options to report the outage:
  • Log into tecoaccount.com, and report your outage with one click.
  • Report your outage online using your phone number, account number or meter number.
  • Text OUT to 35069*.
  • Call 1-877-588-1010 to report your outage at any time.

*If the phone number you enter is not recognized in our system, you may text OUT followed by your account number or meter number. For example: OUT212000000000 or OUTAB1234.

Get outage updates

To get the latest updates about the status of your electric service, you may use one of these convenient options:
  • Sign up for Power Updates* through tecoaccount.com. When you sign up, you can let us know how you'd like us to contact you. You can receive texts, emails, and/or phone calls regarding your service and other important information.
  • Text UPDATE to 35069**.
  • Visit our outage map to track outages in your neighborhood. You can learn the cause and restoration status in addition to the number of customers affected and the estimated restoration time.

*Message and data rates may apply.
**If the phone number you enter is not recognized in our system, you may text UPDATE followed by your account number or meter number. For example: UPDATE212000000000 or UPDATEAB1234.

About power outages

Providing reliable service is one of our top priorities. However, natural occurrences like trees and animals coming into contact with electrical equipment cause more than half the outages that occur. View our reliability tip sheet PDF Icon to learn more. Did you know there are two main types of outages - a power outage and a momentary interruption?

Our restoration process

We follow a restoration plan with priorities to help the community return to normal as fast as possible. Visit our storm section and learn how our crews work until power is restored to all customers.

Prepare your home for power restoration

You should make sure your home is ready to safely receive electricity once power has been restored. Make sure there are no flammable items on the stove, no irons left on or other potentially dangerous situations. Turn off as many appliances as possible that require electricity and turn them on one by one after power is restored. This causes less stress to the power system and ensures that all customers get restored without unnecessary delays. You may want to leave your front porch light on so you will know when power is restored. When in doubt, or when leaving the home for an extended period, you should switch off your power at the main breaker.

Outage map

Outage Map Icon
View our outage map to monitor and track outages.

Our restoration process
Why does my power go out?
Teliability Tip Sheet Icon

Did you know that most outages are caused by natural occurrences? View our reliability tip sheet to learn more.

Safety comes first

As we make safety our top priority, we ask that you do the same. Please follow these critical electrical safety guidelines.

We balance our commitment to reliable service with the health of the trees we must trim near power lines. We're proud to have received recognition as a Tree Line USA utility by the National Arbor Day Foundation™, in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters.

Your Electric Service ×
Power outage

A power outage, lasting one minute or longer, usually happens when a problem occurs somewhere along the electric distribution system – this can be any place between the power plant and your home or business. When a power outage occurs, Tampa Electric will respond to the outage and make any repairs necessary to restore power. If you notice damage to your meter or related equipment, please view this illustration to determine who is responsible for repairs.

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Momentary interruption

A momentary interruption typically lasts less than a second and is usually caused by a short circuit. Short circuits happen when something comes in contact with power lines, such as an animal or tree, or when power lines come in contact with each other. When this happens, a "breaker" automatically de-energizes the circuit and causes an interruption to your service. Special electrical equipment is designed to quickly open and close the breaker two or three times automatically – in separate attempts – to clear the problem. When this occurs, you might experience a momentary interruption each time. In most cases, short circuits clear themselves and a power outage is avoided. If the problem persists however, Tampa Electric will respond to the outage and make any repairs necessary to restore power.

It's important to understand that a momentary interruption lasting less than one second is the result of a "safety device" designed to automatically open the circuit to prevent damage that can lead to an extended outage. During Florida's hurricane season, outages may increase due to high winds and lightning. To keep outages to a minimum, Tampa Electric inspects and clears away trees and limbs from power lines. In addition, Tampa Electric works with environmental experts to protect birds and other animals by researching new ways to prevent them from coming into contact with power lines.

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