You’re sitting in your living room in the middle of a New Hampshire January. Suddenly, the hum of the refrigerator stops. The lights flicker, then die. It’s pitch black, and the silence is heavy. You grab your phone—thankfully charged—and search for the nh coop outage map to see if it’s just you or the whole town of Moultonborough.
Most people think checking the map is just about looking at colored dots. Honestly, it’s a bit more complex than that. If you're a member of the New Hampshire Electric Co-op (NHEC), that map is your primary lifeline to the outside world during a nor'easter. But if you don't know how to read between the lines, you’re going to end up frustrated.
Why the nh coop outage map Is Your Best Friend (And Sometimes Your Enemy)
The map is basically a live feed from the NHEC Control Center in Plymouth. It updates roughly every five minutes. That sounds great, right? It is, but there’s a catch. If you just refreshed the page and don't see your outage yet, it doesn't mean they're ignoring you. It usually means the system is still processing the data or—more likely—nobody has actually reported it yet.
NHEC serves over 85,000 members across 115 towns. That is a lot of ground to cover. Their map uses a GIS-based interface (Esri-powered) that breaks down outages by town and county. You'll see little icons or shaded regions.
📖 Related: Hisense 55 Class U7: Why This TV Is Kinda Ruining the Competition for Everyone Else
Pro tip: Don't just stare at the map. Use the "Summary" tab. It gives you a raw count of how many people are out in your specific town. Seeing "1,200 out in Sandwich" tells you it's a main line issue. Seeing "1 out in Meredith" means it might just be the service drop to your house.
The Mystery of the ETR
The biggest gripe people have is the Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR).
"Why does it say 'Assessing' for three hours?"
Here is the reality: NHEC won’t give you a time until a crew is physically on-site looking at the mess. They’ve learned the hard way that guessing leads to angry phone calls. If you see a specific time listed, it’s because a lineman has identified the snapped pole or the blown transformer and gave the thumbs up to the dispatcher. No time? No crew yet.
How to Actually Use the Map Without Losing Your Mind
If you're on the mobile version, it can be a bit clunky. You've got to pinch and zoom. It's often easier to use the SmartHub app instead of a mobile browser. SmartHub is basically the "pro" version of the public map. It links directly to your account number, so you get info specific to your meter.
Ways to interact with the map data:
- The Legend: Look for the "Summary" button. It's usually a small icon on the side. This is where you see the breakdown of total members vs. those without power.
- The Search Bar: You can type in your specific town. Don't bother searching by street; the public map isn't always that granular for privacy reasons.
- The Layers: You can toggle between "Outages by County" and "Outages by Town." Always go with Town. County is too broad to be useful.
NHEC handles things differently than the big investor-owned utilities like Eversource. They are a member-owned cooperative. This means their crews are often local people who live in the same towns they're fixing. It's a bit more personal.
Reporting is Faster than the Map
Here’s a secret. The nh coop outage map is a reaction to reports. If you sit there waiting for your house to turn red on the screen, you might be waiting a while. You need to tell them you're out.
You have three real options. First, the SmartHub app. It’s the fastest. Second, you can text OUT to 855-960-3075. This is honestly the best way because you can then text STATUS later to get an automated update without waiting on hold.
Third, the old-fashioned way: call 1-800-343-6432.
Expect a long wait during a major storm. The automated system is decent, but if you have a specific emergency—like a tree on your house or a wire sparking in your driveway—you need to get a human or call 911. Never assume they know a wire is down just because the map says the power is out.
The Restoration Pecking Order
Why does your neighbor across the street have lights while you’re still using candles? It feels targeted. It’s not.
NHEC follows a strict "greatest good" protocol. They fix the substations first. If the substation is dead, nothing else matters. Next, they fix the "main trunks"—the lines that feed hundreds of homes. If you’re at the end of a long dirt road with only three neighbors, you are, unfortunately, last on the list.
Common restoration steps:
- Transmission lines: These are the big towers. Rare for these to go, but if they do, everyone is out.
- Substations: These step down the high voltage for local use.
- Distribution lines: These run along your main roads.
- Service drops: The single wire going from the pole to your house.
If your neighbor has power and you don't, your service drop is likely damaged. The map might show your area as "Restored," but you're still in the dark. That's called a "nested outage." You must report this separately, or the crews will drive right past your house thinking the job is done.
Surviving the Wait
New Hampshire winters don't play around. If the map shows a "Global ETR" of two days, you need to move.
✨ Don't miss: Finding a Free Music Playlist App That Doesn't Suck in 2026
Keep your fridge closed. A full freezer keeps food safe for about 48 hours if you don't open the door. If you have a generator, for the love of everything, keep it outside. People die every year in the Granite State from carbon monoxide because they ran a generator in the garage with the door "mostly" open. Don't be that person.
Also, be careful with your "outside" light. NHEC suggests leaving one porch light on so crews driving by can see at a glance if your power is back. It’s a simple signal that saves them time.
Actionable Steps for the Next Storm
Stop waiting for the lights to go out before you prep. Do these three things right now:
- Download SmartHub: Get it on your phone and log in. Don't try to remember your password in the dark.
- Register your cell number: NHEC needs your number linked to your account for the "Text OUT" feature to work. If you haven't done this, the text system won't recognize you.
- Bookmark the direct map link: Save https://nhec.outagemap.coop/ in your favorites.
When the next ice storm hits and the nh coop outage map starts lighting up like a Christmas tree, you’ll be the one with the plan while everyone else is still trying to find a flashlight.