Seattle City Light works hard to ensure that all of its customers have reliable power. Nowhere is that commitment more important than in households that have life support equipment requiring electricity to operate.
For these customers, City Light offers its Life Support Equipment Program, which seeks to identify people in the utility’s service area who are dependent on electrical life support equipment. Your doctor’s certification of your life-support equipment is required.
The program services provide:
- notification about when planned outages will occur;
- information on how to prepare for an unplanned outage and how to stay informed during an unplanned outage;
- ways to keep electric service on if you fall behind on bill payments.
Be Visible
When you’re part of the program, City Light will place a Life Support Equipment code on your City Light account and it will remain there as long as your doctor’s certification is current. This allows City Light to know you’re there and that you have special needs. The utility also places a tag on your meter to help prevent an accidental disconnection of power.
As a Life Support Equipment customer, you’ll be given a special number to contact us for information during an unplanned outage. The utility will also know if you are in an area where an unplanned outage has occurred and can contact you if necessary.
Be Aware
When possible, City Light provides advance notification to Life Support Equipment customers, such as warning of severe weather or other emergencies that could cause power outages. Customers are also advised to watch and listen for news announcements.
Be Prepared
Although City Light can’t guarantee that you will not be affected by an unplanned outage, the utility works with its customers to help them stay prepared and informed.
- Learn how to prepare for an outage and what to do when the power goes out at City Light's website.
- Download the program brochure for more ways to be prepared for an outage and how to reach us during an outage.
- Users of life support equipment should have their own backup plan that includes an alternative source of electric power, such as a battery backup system or a generator. See generator safety.
-
Consider joining
Seattle
Neighborhoods
Actively
Prepared (
SNAP), coordinated by the City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management. SNAP brings together neighbors, families, and friends to prepare, as a community, for an emergency. SNAP members are there to help each other when problems occur. You’ll be given a HELP window sign to notify your neighborhood team when to check on you (does not imply police or fire will respond.) Contact SNAP at 206-233-5076 or visit
the web site.
Enrollment
To enroll in the program, please select the enrollment form from the list on the upper right, fill out your information, and sign it. Then have your doctor complete the certification of your life support equipment on the form. Mail or fax the form to City Light as directed on the form.
Once you have signed up, City Light will mail you a renewal form every year, which must be completed and returned by your doctor.
If your phone number or emergency contact information changes anytime during the year, it’s essential that you call and tell the utility about those changes: 206-684-3020.
