Alerts - Call out

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Usage, Outage and Meter Read Alerts

Stay informed about your use and outage information by easily signing up for alerts.

Get ahead with real-time updates!

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It’s easy to sign up

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Outage Alerts

Your alert options

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Receive updates on your use

Usage Update: Weekly updates with usage and daily averages for the current billing period.
Usage Amount Exceeded: Set a monthly usage and get notified if you exceed it.

Usage Change: Alerts for big change in daily usage changes over three days in a row.

Note: Only customers with smart meters can enroll in usage alerts. Currently, dual energy customers (electric and natural gas) will only receive alerts for their electric usage, while customers with a single energy service will receive alerts for that specific type — either electric or natural gas.

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 Text us!

If you've signed up to receive Usage Alerts by text, text USAGE to 743898 and receive a message with the amount and cost of electricity used through the prior day. Learn more about tips to reduce your energy usage.

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Outage Alerts

Stay informed if the power goes out. Expect updates:

  • If we detect a power outage in your area, with the estimated restoration time.
  • If the estimated restoration time changes.
  • Once we have restored power in your area.
  • Of any upcoming system improvements in your area.

​ ​ Need to report an outage? ​article - text box

 Need to report an outage?

  • When you are enrolled in outage alerts, text OUT to 743898
  • Use our online form.
  • Call 800.743.1701 to report any electric outage or 800.743.1702 for natural gas.
  • In the event of a life-threatening situation, please call 911.

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Meter Read Alerts

We can remind you monthly, the months we’re scheduled to read your meter or the months we’re scheduled to estimate your use. Learn how to read you meter and its benefits.

Note: Only available for customers who do not have smart meters installed. If you are not a smart meter customer and don’t see it as an option in your Preferences, please contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions - h2

Frequently Asked Questions

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To sign up for Alerts, please log in to your online account or easily create an account if you don’t have one.

Once you log in to your account, click the “Manage Alerts” button. Add your contact information for the alerts you want to receive, check the box to agree to the terms and conditions, then click the “Save Preferences” button at the bottom of the page.

You choose how you want to receive Alerts. You can receive them by text message, email, and/or voice message, choose the options that work best for you!

Yes, you can add up to five contacts for each type of delivery method — text, email and/or phone.

Yes. You can sign up to receive Alerts for each account in your name. Please set your contact information and preferences for each account. If you choose to receive Outage Alerts and a power outage is affecting your service at multiple locations, you will receive separate Outage Alerts for each location.

Please sign up for our Alerts so you can get the information you need the way you want it. You need to log in to My Account, go to ‘Manage Preferences’ and choose your alerts.

We have automatically enrolled some customers in Outage and Usage Alerts to help keep them informed. You can update your Alert preferences anytime through My Account.

There are a few different scenarios that can cause a user not to receive a registration text message.

Text messaging blocked: If your mobile carrier is supported, you may have a setting on your mobile phone's account that is blocking incoming text(s).  Please contact your mobile provider to ensure that text messaging is enabled.


Short code messaging blocked: If your mobile carrier is supported, you may have a setting turned on for your phone's account that is blocking short code messages. Short code messages are any messages that come from a short number such as 743898. Please contact your mobile carrier to change your account setting to allow short code messaging.

The number of messages you receive will vary based on the types of alerts you choose to receive and the preferences you set.

Our Alerts service allows you to receive important information for your home or business.

Outage Alerts: receive information when a power outage occurs including our estimate of when the power will be restored.

Usage Alerts: receive updates and alerts about your energy usage — provided by your smart meter.

This is a free service for you, but standard text message and data rates from your cellular provider may apply. Check your mobile plan for details.

You will be able to start receiving Alerts about an hour after you sign up.

Usage Alerts are available to residential and small business customers who have a smart meter.

A small number of customers who have more than one meter on their account may not be able to receive Usage Alerts at this time.

If you'd like more information on this, please contact us and provide your account number and name so we can look into it for you.

You'll receive a weekly alert with your current bill-to-date progress, leading up to your bill monthly. this alert is sent 7 (seven), 14, 21, and 28 days from when your billing period started, so the day you receive the alert may change from month to month.

The Do Not Disturb time only applies to Outage Alerts.

Usage Alerts use information received daily from your smart meter. If we are not receiving information regularly from your smart meter, it may delay or prevent Usage Alerts from being sent to you.

Also, if your smart meter was recently replaced, you may not receive Usage Alerts until your next billing cycle. Please contact us and provide your name and account number so we can follow up on this for you!

Usage Change alerts let you know when there has been a change in your energy usage.

There are a number of factors that can affect your energy use. For example, you might have a faulty device or appliance in your home, such as a water pump being stuck on. You might also receive this alert if you make a large seasonal change in your energy use, such as using a pool in the summer or using a heat pump or electric heat during the winter. Your usage may also change based on the number of people at your house. Your energy use is probably a lot lower when you're away on vacation and may go up if you have friends or family staying with you.

To learn more about your energy use, explore Energy Manager.

Sometimes severe weather can cause extensive damage and widespread outages. In these cases, damage assessment is more complex. Severe weather may linger and, of course, securing public safety is the first priority and providing an estimated time when power will be restored may take a bit more time. We will send updates with an estimated restoration time.

No. If your power is out, our first priority is to get your power back on as quickly and safely as possible. We will do our best to keep you informed and provide estimated restoration times that are accurate and up to date.

When a power outage occurs, we estimate when power will be restored using the best information we have at the time. As we gather more information about the cause of an outage, or the repairs that are needed to safely restore power, we may update the estimated time power will be restored. You will receive an alert with the new time estimate, as well as confirmation when your power has been restored.

Yes. You will receive Outage Alerts with the time we estimate power will be restored. If we update that time estimate, we will send you another alert.

We use several factors to determine which customers are affected by a power outage, including reported outages by customers. Sometimes we may predict that a nearby outage caused you to lose power when it really didn’t.

If you sign up for Outage Alerts while your power is out, you will be able to start receiving outage alerts in about an hour

You'll be able to start receiving Outage Alerts about an hour after you sign up. Once you sign up for Outage Alerts, we will notify you when we detect a power outage at your location, and provide an estimated time when power will be restored. We will notify you if that estimated time changes, and we will notify you once power has been restored.

Yes. You can report an outage online or by calling our outage line at 800.743.1701

Yes. Simply have the account holder add your contact information to receive Alerts for that person's RG&E account.

If you have signed up to receive Outage Alerts and we detect a power outage at your location, you will receive an Outage Alert.

We use several factors to determine which customers are affected by a power outage, including information from smart meters and reported outages by customers. Sometimes our outage prediction will miss some customers who are affected by a power outage, so they would not receive outage alerts.

You can always check our online outage map or outage list to see if there is an outage in your area.

You can set your own Do Not Disturb time period. When you sign up for Alerts, the default setting for this preference suspends alerts between 10 p.m. at night and 8 a.m. the next morning. You can change this setting by logging in to your online account.

Yes. Power outages can occur at any time, and if there are certain hours you would not like to receive messages from us, you can set a Do Not Disturb time period. When you sign up for Alerts, the default setting for this preference suspends alerts between 10 p.m. at night and 8 a.m. the next morning. You can change this setting by logging in to your online account.

Yes. If you have signed up for Outage Alerts, you will receive an alert if we detect a power outage at your location, based on our outage prediction models.



We have automatically enrolled some customers in Outage and Usage Alerts to help keep them informed. You can update your Alert preferences at any time through My Account.

We use several factors to determine which customers are affected by a power outage, including reported outages by customers. Sometimes our outage prediction will miss some customers whor are affected by a power outage, so they would not receive outage alerts. You can always check our online outage map or outage list to see if there is an outage in your area.

Also, messages we send could get delayed or not delivered by your wireless carrier if your wireless signal is poor or there is extremely high wireless traffic.

Yes, just add your friend or relative's contact information in your preferences. You can add up to five contacts for each type of delivery method (text message, email and/or voice message).

Please check the circuit breaker at your property. If resetting circuit breakers does not restore power, please report your outage online or by calling 800.743.1701. There may be additional damage at your location that caused the outage.

The Do Not Disturb time only applies to Outage Alerts.

View your next scheduled billing date, and the window to submit a meter reading, in the At-A-Glance box on your account detail page here. You will receive your alert in the beginning of this window. Keep in mind, this date can vary slightly from month to month.

We have three options available: monthly, the months we’re scheduled to read or the months we’re scheduled to estimate. For assistance determining the option that meets your needs, click here. You can update your reminder options at any time.

Yes, it’s important that we access our meter once a year for readings, inspection and maintenance. This is required by the NY State Public Service Commission.

You will have 5 business days to submit your reading after you receive your alert. If we have access to your meter and we’re scheduled to read, we may obtain a reading for billing. If we do not receive a reading, we’ll estimate your usage.

Meter Read Reminder Alerts are available to most residential and small business customers. If you do not see this option and have further questions, please contact us and provide your account number and name so we can look into it for you.

There is no limit to the number of accounts you can have for texting.

You will receive a text asking you to select the account you want to view. For example, “reply 1 for 123 Main St, reply 2 for 456 Maple St.”

You can be signed up for just Outage Alerts, just Meter Read Reminders or both Outage Alerts and Meter Read Reminders to use two-way texting.

Your text message will read “no payment due at this time.”

You will receive the most up-to-date information that we have at the current time.

Before you change your cell phone number, text STOP to 743898 to stop receiving RGE Alerts at that number. You can also log in to your online account and delete your cell phone number, and to add your new cell phone number.

When you move, you will have a new RG&E account number for your new address. Please sign up again with your new RG&E account number to receive Alerts.

Please text UNENROLL to 743898 to unenroll from individual alerts that you currently receive. Text STOP to stop receiving all alerts by text message at that number. You can also log in to your online account and remove your contact information.

RGE Alerts will be delivered from the following numbers or email addresses:

Text message: 743898

Email: noreply@rge-alerts.com

Voice message: 800.743.2110

RGE Alerts are an automated service and the email address that delivers alerts is not monitored. There are several links provided in the email alert that you can use to contact us.

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