Frequently Asked Questions

Find out if your neighbors are affected.

If your neighbors are also without power, contact FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) or report your outage online.

If your neighbors are not without power, you may need to reset your breakers.

A breaker is a protective switch located on an electrical circuit that can interrupt the flow of abnormally large currents. A circuit breaker is the most common means of providing overload and fault protection for customers and utilities.

If you live in a single-family home, contact FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) or report your outage online.

If you live in an apartment/multi-unit dwelling:

• Verify if your neighbors are affected.
• If your neighbors are affected, contact FPL: 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) Report your outage online
• If your neighbors are not affected, try resetting your breakers.
• If the flicker/fluctuating still continues, you may need to contact a licensed electrician.

Power interruptions lasting less than one minute are known as flickers, and they may occur at any time – even on a sunny day. They can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• Lightning strikes
• Damaged electrical equipment
• Vegetation – tree branches, palm fronds or other debris
• Animals interfering with electrical equipment
• Salt spray affecting FPL equipment in coastal areas

Similar to a circuit breaker in your home, a flicker occurs when our system automatically shuts off electricity to isolate the problem area. When the line is cleared, our system resets itself and electric service is quickly restored. Briefly shutting off power and isolating the problem helps prevent damage to the electric system, which could result in a longer outage and affect many more customers.

FPL has launched a major initiative – the first of its kind in the nation – to reduce power “flickers” (outages lasting less than 60 seconds) and their impact on our customers. Visit Power Flickers for more information.

A voltage fluctuation is a dip or spike in the flow of electricity to your home. The state of Florida requires that utilities normally operate within a range of plus- or minus six volts (114 - 126) from standard voltage (120). Fluctuations of more than six volts may cause your lights to dim or brighten.

Lights flicker when the power in your home abruptly turns off but comes back on within seconds. Fluctuations cause your lights to dim or get brighter than usual.

In many instances, a single street is served by two different main power lines and even different substations. Your neighbor’s home may be served by a power line or substation that has not been affected while the power line or substation serving your home is damaged.

Additional reasons your power can be out while other houses on your street have power include:

• Fuses or circuit breakers in your home may be tripped
• Tree limbs may have fallen on the line serving your home
• Fuses on the transformer that serves your home may have blown or become damaged
• The primary line feeding the transformer serving your home may be damaged

Causes of a partial power outage include:

• A tripped circuit breaker
• A blown fuse
• A broken connector or wire at one of the service leads to your house

Sometimes damaged service leads leave only 120-volt outlets working. In this case, larger appliances that require 240-volt service—such as water heaters, air conditioning and ovens—may be inoperable until repairs are made. It is safe to use the outlets you have available while you check with an electrician or await restoration by FPL. If the problem involves a service lead to your home, FPL crews will repair them when they arrive.

Once service is restored, we make every effort to keep it on. However, as we repair other parts of our system, additional interruptions can occur. If a power outage occurs, contact FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) or report your outage online.

No. Electricians are not allowed to work on FPL lines from the pole or transformer to your house.

If you see an FPL crew passing but not stopping, it may be because work must be performed at a nearby location before electric service can be restored to your home.

Any customer who has continuously operating, electric-powered medical equipment necessary to sustain life or prevent serious medical complications may participate in FPL's Medical Essential Service Program (MESP). Please know that the program does not guarantee uninterrupted service, and it does not exempt customers from payment of their electric bills. MESP customers are responsible for having backup power supply and a plan in the event of power outages.

Read our Guide to Power Outage.

Not necessarily. The voltage that flows through electrical lines fluctuates slightly on a normal basis.

Some UPS products have a fluctuation threshold of five volts, meaning that the UPS will go into battery mode in response to a minor voltage fluctuation of six volts.

If your UPS activates unnecessarily, try these steps:

• Reference your UPS owner's manual or contact the manufacturer about how to change the threshold to eight volts.
• Check the battery for expiration. UPS batteries have an average lifespan of two years.

If your UPS beeps and you’re experiencing dimming or brightening of lights, please call FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) or report your problem online.

A power quality disturbance is any change in the electricity reaching your home that interferes with normal operation of electrical equipment. Unprotected computers and other sensitive electronic equipment are susceptible to damage from power quality disturbances.

FPL understands that any power disturbance is an inconvenience. That’s why we continually invest in strengthening our infrastructure, use smart technology to prevent outages, and proactively clear vegetation from power lines. Despite our best efforts, no utility can ever be completely interruption-proof. Many forces can cause an outage, a flicker or changes in voltage. If you experience an outage or recurring power problems, call FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) or report your outage online.