New CenterPoint outage tracker goes live ahead of Tropical Storm Francine – Houston Public Media

Screenshot via CenterPoint Energy

CenterPoint’s new and improved power outage tracker is now live after the previous version left customers in the dark.

The old power outage map went offline after Hurricane Beryl, as millions of Houstonians were without power and CenterPoint provided little to no information on when power would be restored.

Customers had to resort to alternative methods, such as using the Whataburger app as a makeshift electricity consumption tracker.

“We know we need to regain our customers’ trust, and we are confident that with these new capabilities and communications we can address their concerns,” Michelle Hundley, a CenterPoint representative, said Monday.

The updated map promises to provide an estimated time for power restoration within 24 hours of a tropical storm or hurricane and update those estimates daily. The map will also show whether or not a CenterPoint crew has been assigned to a power outage.

The weather is also integrated into the map so that customers can see more precisely what impact the weather is having on their region.

In addition to the new outage tracker, CenterPoint is encouraging customers to sign up for the Power Alert service to receive customized outage details and updates via phone, text or email. Customers can add up to five people to an account.

“The outage tracker and power alert service work hand in hand to give the customer as much information as possible about their location,” Hundley said.

CenterPoint says it will “remain vigilant and prepared to respond” to Tropical Storm Francine, which is expected to develop into a full-blown hurricane before making landfall.