PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs

PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs: A Lead-Response Playbook for Electricians and Home-Service Businesses

If a customer reports a downed power line, gas leak, fire, carbon monoxide concern, or medical equipment losing power, direct them to 911, PG&E, or an appropriately qualified professional before discussing estimates, availability, or scheduling. An automated text should never imply that your business can respond immediately or handle an electrical emergency.

PG&E has warned thousands of customers about possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) because of wildfire risk. Reporting also noted that many Berkeley neighborhoods could lose power during a proposed safety shutoff. ABC30 and Berkeleyside reported on the warnings.

Those reports do not establish that service businesses will receive a measured surge in leads, calls, or quote requests. Still, electricians, generator providers, HVAC businesses, tree services, and restoration companies may want to prepare for possible outage-related inquiries before normal operations get interrupted.

The goal is not to turn a PSPS into an aggressive sales moment. It is to make sure a legitimate customer inquiry receives a clear, safe, realistic response while your team is in the field, managing existing work, or operating with reduced availability.

#Table of contents

What a PSPS warning can change for service businesses
Build a PSPS inquiry workflow before customers call
Separate safety concerns from ordinary service requests
PSPS response templates for calls, forms, and texts
Set availability expectations your team can keep
Use a short follow-up sequence for non-urgent requests
A reusable outage-response checklist
FAQ

#What a PSPS warning can change for service businesses

A planned safety shutoff can create a different mix of inquiries than a typical weekday. Customers may contact your business because they want to prepare before an outage, assess a problem after power returns, or understand whether a project is possible.

The right response depends on the request type, not merely on the fact that the customer mentioned an outage.

Likely inquiry categories

Inquiry type	Examples	Recommended next step
Immediate safety concern	Reported downed line, fire, gas smell, carbon monoxide concern, medically necessary equipment without power	Direct the customer to 911, PG&E, or a qualified emergency professional. Do not promise service response.
Pre-outage planning	Generator installation inquiry, electrical panel assessment, backup-power consultation	Collect location, timeline, and project details. Offer the next available assessment only if your team can support it.
Post-outage electrical issue	Damaged equipment concern, breaker issue, power restoration question	Confirm that the customer is safe, gather basic non-emergency details, and route to a qualified team member.
Tree or property concern	Tree near lines, debris, access issue, property damage concern	Clarify whether utility infrastructure may be involved. Avoid giving utility or emergency instructions beyond directing urgent concerns to PG&E or 911.
Routine service request	Existing estimate, HVAC maintenance, ordinary repair, non-urgent electrical work	Keep it in the normal sales and scheduling workflow, while setting realistic timing.

This separation protects customers and prevents your inbox from becoming one undifferentiated queue of “urgent” messages.

#Build a PSPS inquiry workflow before customers call

The most useful preparation is simple: decide what happens after a customer calls, texts, or submits a form.

A workable small-business workflow has five parts.

1. Name one owner for each request type

Even a two-person operation benefits from clear ownership. Assign responsibility for:

Monitoring new web-form and text inquiries
Checking voicemail or missed-call notifications
Reviewing safety-sensitive messages
Calling back estimate requests
Updating availability language if capacity changes

Do not rely on “whoever sees it first.” During a possible outage, that approach can leave messages unread while everyone assumes someone else handled them.

For a broader after-hours setup, see After-Hours Lead Response: How to Win Jobs While You Sleep.

2. Add a PSPS tag or intake label

Use a simple label such as:

PSPS safety concern
PSPS urgent review
PSPS estimate request
PSPS existing customer
PSPS routine inquiry

The tag is not emergency triage. It is an internal sorting tool that helps your team see why the person contacted you and prevents outage-related questions from getting buried among ordinary leads.

3. Collect only the details needed for the next step

For non-emergency inquiries, keep intake short:

Customer name and best callback number
Service address or neighborhood
Requested service
Whether power is currently out or the customer is planning ahead
A short description of the issue or project
Photos, if appropriate for your normal workflow
Preferred time for a callback

Avoid trying to diagnose electrical or safety-critical conditions by automated text. The purpose of the first exchange is to acknowledge the request, identify the category, and get it to the right human.

4. Decide your capacity language in advance

Before messages begin arriving, choose language that accurately reflects your operation. For example:

“Our team is reviewing outage-related requests and will reply as soon as we can.”
“We are currently scheduling non-emergency assessments for the next available opening.”
“Availability may change while we support existing customers.”
“Please do not rely on this message for emergency assistance.”

This is more trustworthy than saying “We’ll be right there” when the team may be on another job or unable to travel safely.

5. Keep a fallback when phones or internet are disrupted

A PSPS can affect your own operations, too. Decide:

Which team member checks messages when possible
Where new inquiries are visible if one person is unavailable
What message should run after hours
When ordinary estimates should be paused rather than overpromised
How the team will document a promised callback

The operating principle is straightforward: acknowledge the inquiry, state what happens next, then have a person take ownership.

#Separate safety concerns from ordinary service requests

A customer may use words like “emergency” for many reasons. Your business should not attempt to determine emergency severity through a generic automated flow.

Instead, use a clear boundary.

A safe first-response boundary

For messages that mention a downed line, gas leak, fire, carbon monoxide, or medical equipment losing power:

If there is immediate danger or a safety emergency, call 911. For utility-related concerns, contact PG&E. We cannot provide emergency response through text.

This language does three important things:

It puts authoritative emergency channels first.
It avoids diagnosing the situation.
It does not promise your business is available or qualified to resolve the issue.

For ordinary project inquiries, move into your normal qualification process. An electrician may collect details for a panel or backup-power assessment. A generator provider may ask about the customer’s goals and property. An HVAC company may identify whether the request is maintenance, repair, or a future backup-power discussion.

The inquiry type should change the workflow, not the safety standard.

#PSPS response templates for calls, forms, and texts

Use these as starting points. Update the business name, monitored hours, and availability language before activating them. Send SMS only where you have the appropriate consent, and honor opt-out requests.

Hi [First Name], this is [Business Name]. We received your request regarding the possible PG&E shutoff. We’re reviewing inquiries and will follow up as soon as we can. If there is immediate danger, a downed power line, fire, gas leak, carbon monoxide concern, or medical equipment losing power, call 911 or contact PG&E. Reply with your service address and a brief description of what you need help with.

Non-emergency electrical assessment request

Hi [First Name], thanks for contacting [Business Name]. We can review your non-emergency electrical request. Please reply with your address, whether power is currently out, and a short description of the work you need. We’ll confirm the next available step after review.

Generator or backup-power consultation

Hi [First Name], thanks for reaching out to [Business Name] about backup power. To help us route your request, please send your address and let us know whether you’re looking for a future installation consultation or have an existing system that needs non-emergency service. We’ll follow up with available options.

Existing customer update

Hi [First Name], this is [Business Name]. We received your message. Our schedule and field availability may be affected by local conditions, but we’re reviewing existing customer requests and will update you as soon as we can. If you are facing an immediate safety emergency, call 911 or contact PG&E.

After-hours acknowledgment

Hi [First Name], thanks for contacting [Business Name]. We’ve received your message outside our monitored hours and will respond when our team is available. This text is not emergency assistance. For immediate danger, a downed power line, fire, gas leak, carbon monoxide concern, or medical equipment losing power, call 911 or contact PG&E.

For more general first-response copy, use these auto-reply messages for contractors.

#Set availability expectations your team can keep

In a possible outage period, the fastest reply is not always the best reply if it creates a promise your team cannot fulfill.

A good acknowledgment should answer three questions:

Did you receive my request?
What should I do next?
When, or under what condition, will I hear from a person?

It should not imply:

Immediate dispatch
Guaranteed same-day service
Electrical diagnosis by text
Utility restoration information
Emergency response capability

A practical availability matrix

Your current capacity	What to say
You can review inquiries today	“We’re reviewing requests today and will follow up after we confirm the details.”
You are booked but accepting future work	“We’re accepting non-emergency requests for the next available appointment.”
You are temporarily unable to take new work	“We received your message. We are not currently able to accept new non-emergency service requests.”
You need human review before commitment	“A team member will review your request before we confirm whether we can help.”

That last option is especially useful for electricians, tree services, and restoration businesses, where the request may require context before anyone gives a time window.

#Use a short follow-up sequence for non-urgent requests

A possible PSPS does not mean every inquiry needs repeated urgent messages. For non-emergency leads who have consented to receive texts, use a restrained sequence that helps collect missing information and keeps the next step clear.

Do not use automated follow-up for safety-critical messages. Those requests should be routed for human review or directed to the appropriate emergency and utility contacts.

Example: non-emergency consultation sequence

First response

Hi [First Name], this is [Business Name]. We received your request. Please reply with your address and a short description of the non-emergency service you need, and we’ll review the next available step.

Later that day, if details are missing

Hi [First Name], following up on your request to [Business Name]. If you still need non-emergency service, reply with your address and the best time for us to reach you.

One or two days later

Hi [First Name], checking in once more. If you’d like to move forward with a non-emergency assessment, reply here and we’ll let you know our next available option.

The messages should stop when the customer opts out. They should also be reviewed carefully when a customer replies, because ordinary replies may require a person to manage or adjust the remaining follow-up schedule.

For a fuller framework on timing and message stages, read How to Follow Up With Home Service Leads Automatically.

#A reusable outage-response checklist

Use this checklist whenever wildfire conditions, utility warnings, storms, or other regional disruptions may affect customer inquiries.

Before inquiries rise

[ ] Review current field capacity and after-hours coverage.
[ ] Assign an owner for inbound calls, forms, voicemail, and texts.
[ ] Create intake labels for safety concerns, existing customers, estimates, and routine inquiries.
[ ] Prepare a safety-first acknowledgment message.
[ ] Confirm that no template promises immediate arrival or emergency service.
[ ] Decide what information is required before a callback or assessment.
[ ] Check that staff know where to find new inquiries.

During the warning or outage period

[ ] Review PSPS-tagged requests separately from routine leads.
[ ] Direct safety-critical concerns to 911, PG&E, or qualified professionals.
[ ] Send accurate availability expectations.
[ ] Route non-emergency estimates to the right person.
[ ] Record a clear next action for every inquiry.
[ ] Pause or revise marketing language if capacity changes.

After conditions stabilize

[ ] Follow up with unanswered non-emergency requests.
[ ] Review missed calls and web forms that arrived after hours.
[ ] Remove temporary PSPS language when it is no longer relevant.
[ ] Keep the best-performing intake questions and templates for future disruptions.
[ ] Note where ownership or handoffs broke down.

#Keep the automation focused on follow-up, not emergency operations

SecureMyLead can support the non-emergency part of this workflow by sending a prompt acknowledgment when a new lead arrives and helping your business keep follow-up from being forgotten while the team is busy.

It is not an outage-monitoring tool, dispatch system, utility-notification platform, or emergency-triage service. Your team still needs to define the safety language, monitor replies, and decide who owns each request.

If you want a simple way to automate first responses and non-emergency follow-up around your existing lead sources, get started free.

#Key takeaways

PG&E warnings about possible PSPS outages are a reason to review your inquiry workflow, not proof that a lead surge will occur.
Put emergency guidance first for reports involving downed lines, gas leaks, fire, carbon monoxide, or medical equipment losing power.
Separate safety-sensitive messages from routine estimates, consultations, and existing-customer questions.
Use acknowledgments that confirm receipt without promising immediate service.
Make one person responsible for each type of incoming request.
Keep temporary PSPS templates ready for future wildfire-related shutoffs or regional outages.

#FAQ

Will a PG&E PSPS warning increase service-business leads?

It may create additional inquiries for some businesses, but the cited reporting does not document a measured increase in calls, quote requests, or service demand. The practical move is to prepare a response workflow in case inquiries rise.

Should an electrician advertise emergency response during a PSPS?

Only advertise services your business can actually and safely provide. Do not let an automated response imply emergency availability, immediate dispatch, or the ability to handle a utility or life-safety emergency. Direct immediate danger to 911 and utility-related concerns to PG&E.

For non-emergency requests, ask for the customer’s name, address, requested service, whether power is currently out, a short description, and a preferred callback time. Keep the first exchange focused on routing the request, not diagnosing a dangerous condition remotely.

They can be useful for non-emergency acknowledgments and follow-up when the recipient has given appropriate consent. The message should identify your business, provide a realistic next step, include no emergency-service promise, and respect opt-out requests.

What if my business cannot take more work?

Respond honestly. A short acknowledgment that states you are not accepting new non-emergency work is better than leaving customers waiting or scheduling work you cannot deliver.