I think that communication with the energy company is not just a formality, but a matter of comfort and peace of mind. I once had a short circuit, and I was left without power in the late afternoon. It was difficult to find out how long it would last, so I started digging into other people's experiences and found reviews on https://dte-energy.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html. There are stories there where people tell how technical support responded: someone was helped almost immediately, and for someone, the hours of waiting made them nervous.