Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 815 - Division of Public Utilities and Carriers
Chapter 30 - Electric Utilities
Subchapter 00 - General Administration
Part 1 - Standards for Electric Utilities
Section 815-RICR-30-00-1.6 - Interruptions of Service

A. Each public utility shall use all reasonable means to avoid interruption of service but should an interruption occur, service shall be re-established within the shortest time practicable, consistent with safety requirements.

B. Each public utility shall make a record of all interruptions of service of more than five (5) minutes' duration affecting the entire distribution system of a single community or the entire distribution circuit serving a division of a community and shall include in such record the date and time of interruption, approximate number of customers affected, the date and time of service restoration, and, when known, the cause of such interruption. Reports with reference to such service interruption shall be made monthly to the Division on Form E-1.

C. Each utility shall notify the Administrator (or a designated member of the staff) by telephonic means of any major interruption of service when the interruption results in 1000 or more customer hours between normal working hours increasing to 3000 or more customer hours after normal business hours. A company having less than 5,000 customers will notify the Administrator when outages exceed 100 customer hours during normal working hours and increasing to 200 customer hours after normal business hours.

D. When service is interrupted to perform work on lines or equipment, such work shall be done at a time causing minimum inconvenience to customers consistent with the circumstances. Customers seriously affected by such interruption shall, whenever reasonably possible, be notified of the time and expected duration of the service interruption.