3 Things You Should Do Immediately After Your Power Goes Out

Having your power go out is never a pleasant experience. Especially if you’re unsure why it’s gone out or when it will be coming back on, things can get a little scary.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to help ensure that you’re able to get your power back on quickly and able to keep your home and family safe while the power is fluctuating. To show you how, here are three things you should do immediately after your power goes out.

Know Who To Call

The very first thing you should do when you notice that your power has gone out is call the right people. According to Ed Gallek, a contributor to Fox8.com, many people mistakenly call the police when their power has gone out. However, the police often can’t do anything for you and have no information about the power outage in the first place.

If only the power in your home has gone out but the power in your neighbor’s home hasn’t gone out, you should either call an electrician for emergency services or call the provider of your electricity. And if you notice that the power has gone out in your entire neighborhood, it’s best to call your energy provider directly to report the outage. In some cases, power outages get worked on quicker if more people call to report the outage, so don’t just assume that someone else will call for you.

Unplug Anything That Is Plugged In

After you’ve reported the power outage to the right people, it’s time to start preparing your home to stay safe while the power is off and protecting your appliances in the event of power surges while the power is attempted to be restored.

According to Ready.gov, it’s best to unplug all appliances, electronics, and other equipment that runs on your electricity until you’re sure that the power is safely back on. By doing this, you’ll be able to avoid potential power surges that could fry your appliances and cause damage to your home and property.

Consider Your Food Situation

In a perfect world, when the power goes out, it would only stay out for a few minutes or hours. But sadly, this isn’t always the case. So when your power is out for hours or days, it’s good to know how to best keep your family safe and fed during this type of emergency.

The Red Cross shares that food can stay safe and edible in a refrigerator for about 4 hours and in a freezer for about 48 hours. Especially if you’re keeping these appliances closed and not allowing cold air to escape, your food should be good for about this long. Once it gets past these points, you should begin eating your non-perishable food rather than the food in your fridge or freezer.

To help you be prepared for a power outage at your home, consider implementing some of the tips mentioned above the next time your power goes out.