Living without electricity even for just a few hours is the pits. But Pacific Power has found a way to keep people informed, which eases the inconvenience.

The company has an automated telephone service that takes your report of an outage and then notifies you, in case you don't already know, that the power is back on. It tells you the cause of the outage as well as how many others are or were affected. It also makes humans available to talk to you if for some reason the automated service hits a snag.

Meanwhile, the crews are out there in the weather, getting your power back on.

The worst thing about a power outage is not shaving by the light of a flashlight. It is not knowing how long the outage will last. Pacific makes that worry easier to bear by telling you an estimated time that power will be restored.

The way this utility treats customers while the service is interrupted, and the quick response by repair crews, are greatly appreciated when you're stumbling around in the dark. (hh)