Tips for Being Prepared in the Event of a Power Outage

You’re sitting at home, watching TV, when the power suddenly goes out. It’s pitch dark throughout your entire house. What do you do? First, don’t worry. Power outages happen to everyone occasionally. The trick is to be prepared. Here are some steps to take both before and during a power outage.

Before the Outage

Your first step is to make sure you’ll be able to see. Keep plenty of flashlights, candles, and matches on hand, in a place where they’re easily accessible in the dark. Know what type of batteries your flashlights take, and keep a small stock of each type nearby.

Once you have light, you’ll want news, particularly if the power outage is part of some larger problem, like a natural disaster. Have a small radio, and batteries for it, as well. Know in advance what your local news radio stations are, and perhaps even write them down somewhere on or near the radio. You should also think about investing in a car charger, or something else that can charge your cell phone without plugging it into an outlet. You may even want to invest in a generator.

During the Outage

First, find out the source of the outage. Check to see if your neighbors have power. If not, then call your power company for details. They’ll likely be experiencing high call volume, but they may have a recorded message that lets you know what the problem is and about how long it should take to be fixed. Failing that, use your phone to check online for details. If it is a natural disaster, use the radio and Internet to get updates and instructions.

Don’t open the refrigerator or freezer so food stays fresh as long as possible. Have bottled water and canned food on hand. Unplug your HVAC system when the power goes out, leaving it unplugged for at least a few minutes once it comes back. With a little preparedness, you’ll get through the outage just fine.

For more tips on handling a power outage, contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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