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4 Extremely Important Things to Do When Your Power Goes Out
The best-case scenario when your power goes out is that it's a quick outage, and you’re just minorly inconvenienced by resetting all the clocks in your house. However, if you’re in the path of a severe storm or hurricane, strong winds can knock down power lines and leave you without power for hours...or even several days. Beyond extreme weather, though, the power can go out for many reasons, whether it’s a squirrel that nibbles through a utility line or a car that crashes into a utility pole and leaves you in the dark.
U.S. electricity customers experienced an average of 5.5 hours of power interruptions in 2022, according to the Energy Information Administration, however, keep in mind that’s the average across the whole country. Residents in Florida, Vermont, Maine, and West Virginia experienced outages three times the national average.
Power outages can cause numerous problems, including the inability to use household appliances, loss of utilities, spoiled food due to a nonoperational fridge, lack of heating and cooling, and limited communication, says energy expert Clement Feng, the vice president of product management for Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, which makes standby generators and battery backup storage systems. Power outages can also pose emergencies for households with medical equipment that needs power or medications that require refrigeration.
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For those who live in areas prone to power outages, having an automatic standby generator or a home battery backup system would allow you to run your house without interruption, Feng says. If you don’t have a backup power supply, stocking an emergency supply kit with flashlights and a battery-operated radio to hear local weather updates is a good idea, he says.
While preparation is key, there are several steps you should immediately take in the event of a power outage. From disconnecting appliances to properly storing food, these are the four most important things to do during a power outage.
1. Check Your Breakers
If your power suddenly goes out, or you notice the lights are out in one room, and your area isn’t experiencing any severe weather, there’s a chance one of your breakers may have tripped. When you open up the utility panel, check to see if any of the breakers are turned off or are stuck in between the “on” and “off” positions. If you spot one, move it to the off position, and then turn it back on.
If your circuit breakers aren’t to blame, you can call your electric supplier and a repair person will be dispatched—or you’ll get an update about any extended outages in your area.
You can also check your provider’s site for information about active outages.
2. Unplug Your Appliances
One of the first things to do when the power goes out is to disconnect appliances and electronics like microwaves, computers, and televisions, says Michael Clarke, the founder of Pulled, a home management platform. This helps protect your appliances because when the power turns back on, there will be a surge of electrical energy that could damage your appliances.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also points out that unplugging appliances during a power outage is an important safety measure because when your power goes out you could forget that you had a stove burner or iron on. If you’re away from home when service is restored, this could pose a safety hazard.
Plus, leaving your appliances unplugged will help the utility restore service to an area because restarting appliances can use almost double the amount of electricity.
3. Keep Your Refrigerator and Freezer Closed
If you can, keep your refrigerator and freezer closed during a short-term outage. When you open the door, you let cool air out. Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours, according to federal emergency planners at Ready.gov. Full freezers can maintain their temps for about 48 hours.
During longer outages, move your perishable food from the refrigerator to the freezer or ice chest with ice so you can keep it fresh while the power is out, recommends Clarke.
The general food safety rule is you’ll need to toss refrigerated perishable food items like meat, poultry, eggs, and leftovers if your outage lasts for more than four hours and you weren’t able to move the food to an ice chest. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has a chart to help you assess what to do with perishable foods amid a power outage.
4. Install Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms With Battery Backups
When you have an extended outage, your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors won’t be able to work if they solely rely on electricity, which is why it’s important that they have battery backups if they’re hardwired. Make sure you have detectors on every level of your home and near sleeping areas.
Even if a power outage causes your heat to go out, you should never use a gas range or oven to heat your home because it can expose you to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. Similarly, emergency officials also say it’s important for generators, camp stoves, and charcoal grills to be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from any windows. Your backup power and cooking equipment can also emit carbon monoxide that you don't want to expose your household to.
