Ask the I-Team: Is CMP increasing transparency after certain power outages? - WGME

Ask the I-Team: Is CMP increasing transparency after certain power outages?

Losing power is never fun and it often seems like you're left with more questions than answers when it happens. Like why was it knocked out in the first place?

Well, some Mainers have noticed CMP is starting to share that answer with customers.

Amanda asked the CBS13 I-Team:
"A few weeks ago, I lost power for an hour or so. When it came back on, I got a voicemail from CMP telling me what caused it. Is this a new initiative and are they going to call after every outage?"

This is what part of the voicemail Amanda got from CMP said:
"Hi, this is Doug with Central Maine Power. I'm calling about the outage you may have experience in the Town of Windham."

In it, the utility talks about how the outage impacted more than 1,000 people and was caused by a tree that fell on a line outside of the right of way.

CMP says these calls are part of the recent change in their customer service strategy where they look to increase transparency around these situations.

"The outbound calling program is part of a larger initiative to just get more information into the hands of our customers,” said Jon Breed, the CMP Spokesperson. "To provide customers with information like the total customers impacted, the cause, if known, like a fallen tree, or a motor vehicle accident, or something like that, and then estimated time to restore or the time it took to restore an outage."

You may not get one of these calls after every outage at your home.

CMP says they only go out when it impacts more than 500 customers.

They also won't be doing these calls during storms or other major outage events.