From cozy nights at home to holiday gatherings with family and friends, electricity powers many of the traditions that make winter months special. Making those memories possible is Indiana Michigan Power's (I&M) year-round work to help keep the lights on, the heat running and daily life moving. As a result, customers are experiencing 50% fewer outages and getting power back 55% faster than they did five years ago.
I&M crews are proactively replacing power poles to prevent outages, including this pole in Paw Paw, Mich.
Those improvements were the result of strategic planning and data, as well as constant work on behalf of customers. Throughout the year, I&M crews trim trees, replace aging equipment, address potential issues and prepare for severe weather before it arrives.
- Tree Trimming: One of the most effective ways to reduce outages is to keep trees and branches away from power lines before storms arrive. Snow, ice and high winds can cause limbs to break and damage power lines, leading to outages. Over the past four years, tree-related outages have decreased 25%, while the amount of time customers spend without power because of tree-related outages has decreased 55%.
- Proactively Inspecting and Replacing Equipment: Throughout the year, crews inspect and replace equipment to help prevent outages. So far this year, I&M installed more than 18,000 power poles. In some areas, poles were moved farther from roads and intersections to improve safety and reduce the likelihood of outages caused by crashes or slide-offs during winter conditions.
- Using Smart Technology to Prevent Outages: Some of the tools I&M uses today can help identify equipment that needs attention before customers ever notice a problem. Since 2024, smart meters have helped identify 127 transformers that needed replacement before they could disrupt service. In addition, technology that helps keep electricity flowing around damaged equipment helped prevent approximately 17,000 customer outages in the past year.
Getting Ready for Winter
While I&M works year-round to help prevent outages and improve reliability, there are also a few simple steps customers can take now to prepare for winter weather.
- Build a Winter Emergency Kit: Keep essentials on hand before a storm arrives, including bottled water, nonperishable food, flashlights, blankets, medications and a portable phone charger.
- Sign Up for Outage Alerts: Make sure your phone number and email address are up to date and sign up for personalized outage alerts through your I&M account or the I&M mobile app.
- Stay Safe Around Downed Power Lines: If you see a downed power line, stay far away and keep others away, too. Report it by calling 911 or I&M at 1-800-311-4634.
- Find Storm Resources: Visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/Weather for storm preparation information, outage resources and safety tips.
Here to Help This Winter
Colder weather can bring added pressure to a household budget. Whether you're looking for ways to save energy, explore payment assistance or better manage your bill, I&M offers resources and support to help. Visit ElectricIdeas.com for energy-saving tips or the Indiana Michigan Power Bill Support Center to learn about available payment programs and options.
No matter what this winter brings, I&M is committed to helping customers stay comfortable and connected with resources and support when they're needed most.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), headquartered in Fort Wayne, serves more than 600,000 customers across Indiana and Michigan. We're proud to be more than an energy provider by supporting local nonprofits, volunteering in our communities and helping create opportunities for the people and places we call home. We're also strengthening the electric system to help customers experience fewer outages and faster restoration when severe weather strikes, reducing outages by 50% and improving restoration times by 55% over the past five years while working to keep bills as low as possible. By investing in our communities and our grid, we're helping build a stronger, more resilient future for the families, businesses and communities we serve.
American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We plan to invest $78 billion from 2026 through 2030 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 18,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electric transmission system with 40,000 line miles, along with more than 252,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse owned and contracted generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.