Emergency · 5 min read
What to Do During a Power Outage
Check whether the outage is yours or the utility's, protect appliances, use generators safely, and know when to call an emergency electrician.
During a power outage, first check whether neighbors also lost power. If they did, report it to your utility. If only your property is affected, check the main breaker and call a licensed electrician rather than resetting a tripped main repeatedly.
First steps
- Check whether nearby homes still have power
- Report utility outages to your electric utility
- Check the main breaker and GFCI devices
- Unplug sensitive electronics to protect them from surge on restoration
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed
Generator safety
Never run a portable generator indoors, in a garage or near windows, and never backfeed a generator into a wall outlet. A permanently installed generator must use a transfer switch.