If you don’t know what to do if you have a power cut at home it can be really quite stressful if the lights and electrics suddenly go out. Especially if it happens after dark.
The most important thing to remember is not to panic.
Then follow these steps:
Find a safe light source
If the power cut happens at night then you’ll need to find a light source to see what you’re doing.
A good torch or a portable camping light would be great options.
If you only have candles then make sure you use them safely. Place them on a level surface, away from pets and children, and never leave them unattended.
Check to see if the power is out for everyone.
It might not be a power cut at all, it might just be an issue in your home. So take a look outside and see if the lights are still on in your neighbours’ homes.
If they are then it’s likely that the issue is with something in your home.
Find your fuse box and make sure all the switches are on. If one of them is off then it’s likely something in the house has tripped the switch. Try switching it back on again. If it switches straight back off again then you know there’s probably a fault with one of your appliances.
In this case you need to:
- unplug all your appliances
- reset the trip switch and make sure it stays on this time
- plug your appliances back in one by one until you find the one that’s faulty
If all the switches are on but the electricity is still off then you’ll need to call an electrician to come and take a look. Don’t ever try to do anything with the electrics in your house yourself.
Contact your local network distributer to find out what’s happening
Once you’ve established that there is a power cut and it’s not just an issue at your property, then try calling your local network distributer for more information.
Don’t phone your energy supplier. They won’t be able to help you and won’t have any information to tell you.
Instead phone 105 from your mobile or a corded landline phone. This will connect you to your local network distributer, so you can report the issue and see if they can tell you what’s happened.
You can also follow the national grid on Twitter for updates.
Turn off electronic devices
Work your way around the house turning off and unplugging things like the television, your pc, and lights that you know were on before the power went out.
When the power comes back on it can cause surges which can damage your devices so unplugging them will keep them safe.
Keep your food safe in the fridge and freezer
Your fridge and freezer should stay cool for a decent amount of time without power, but you can help by keeping the doors shut as much as possible.
Moving food around so things are packed closer together can also help keep them cool.
If the power is off for a long time and food starts to thaw then you’ll need to throw it out. It’s not safe to refreeze things once they’ve started to defrost.
Keep yourself and your family warm
The central heating won’t work during a power cut, so put on extra layers and wrap up in blankets to keep warm in the winter.
If you can, check in with your neighbours (especially if they’re vulnerable) and make sure they have what they need to stay safe and warm.
Be prepared
While it might not help you right now if you’re in the middle of a power cut, the best thing you can do is be prepared for the next time it happens by:
- putting together an emergency kit with torches, batteries, and a power pack for your phone
- get a corded landline phone that you can use in the event of a power cut
- use power surge plugs to protect your electronic devices
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