
How to get the most out of your power outage
- October 26, 2021
How to save your power while you’re in the middle of a power outage: How to protect yourself from the damage caused by a blackout.1.
Know your outage: Before you head out for your annual checkup, check to see if your electricity provider is currently down.
If they are, there’s a good chance that they have taken action to restore power.2.
Check the status of your home: A power outage is usually the last thing you’ll see before heading out the door.
This can make your life easier by checking on your home, checking your home’s status and, in extreme cases, even making sure that your home is not in danger of being damaged in the event of a blackout (see “How to avoid being hit by a power storm”).3.
Check for emergencies: While you’re checking to see what your power provider is down, you should also check to make sure that there are no emergency alerts.
If there are, they should be activated.
If you are in the process of moving your belongings, you can always check to ensure that there is a power surge at the moment.
If you’re unsure about how to handle an emergency, it’s a wise idea to have your utilities department contact your nearest power provider.4.
Check your phone: If your electricity supply is down for an extended period of time, you’ll want to check to be sure that you have the latest version of your phone’s software, and if there’s any updates to the firmware.
If not, you might be stuck with a locked phone.5.
Check to make your home more resilient: If you have a garage or other outdoor area, check your garage’s temperature to make certain that the air is at a safe level and that the doors are securely locked.6.
Check that you’re not in a blackout: If there’s an extended blackout, be sure to make arrangements to return to your house and check your home to make extra checks on the system.7.
Keep an eye on the weather: While your electricity company may be down, your home and all other devices connected to it will continue to work normally.
Even if you’re connected to the internet, check the weather to make a note of the current weather forecast and make sure it isn’t a severe weather warning.8.
Monitor your home for any abnormal behaviour: If something unusual or unusual happens while you are out, make sure you take immediate action to investigate and if necessary, evacuate.
If the power outage has lasted longer than an hour, your power company may have temporarily suspended services.
You can call your utility to make an appointment to check on the status, but it may take up to 24 hours for your utility’s staff to respond.