We've had two power outages here in Rexburg this winter that have lasted long enough to make me wonder what I was going to do to heat the apartment and cook the food if the power didn't come back on soon. While I didn't get those things quite figured out, I did look up some basic guidelines for what to do in a power outage.
- First check to see if there is a blown circuit or fuse. Check the circuit breakers or fuses in your home's electrical panel.
- If power is out in your entire neighborhood, call your local utility company to report the outage. Rocky Mountain Power: 1-888-221-7070
- If there are power lines down in your neighborhood, call 9-1-1 and call the utility company. DO NOT GO NEAR DOWNED POWER LINES.
- Dress to stay warm - wear layers, including a sweater, sweatshirt or even a jacket. You lose heat through your hands and the top of your head. Wear gloves and a knit hat, not just a baseball cap. If you will be unable to stay warm in your own home, call friends or family to see if there is a warm place you can go. BYU-I sometimes will also open their buildings to the public during major outages if they still have power and heat.
- Avoid opening your refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. Food inside should stay cold for hours if the door is left closed. If the power will be out for a long time, many times during the winter food can be set outside to stay cold.
- Unplug some of your major appliances. When the power comes back on, all of those appliances can create a drain or power surge. This can harm sensitive equipment. To avoid a power surge when the electricity returns, turn off computers, TVs, stereos and other unnecessary electronic equipment at the power source. Leave a light on so you'll know when the power is restored.
- If you have a generator, do not connect it to your home's power system unless it has been properly installed and disconnects you from the main power grid when it is operating. If you do not disconnect from the power grid, you can be sending electricity back down the lines; not just to your home. That could be deadly for power company workers.
- If you have a regular wood stove or fireplace, you can use it for heat. However, DO NOT USE kerosene heaters, BBQs, or any outdoor type heater inside. Such devices create poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas given off by combustion and could kill.
- Check on your elderly neighbors or those who may have medical conditions or use medical machinery that operates on electricity. Make sure they are dressed appropriately warm. If someone needs to have machinery that operates on electricity, move her to a place where electricity is working.
- If you have to go out, drive carefully. Remember that traffic signals may be out during a power outage. Drive defensively.These guidelines were taken and adjusted from the California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center
- If power is out in your entire neighborhood, call your local utility company to report the outage. Rocky Mountain Power: 1-888-221-7070
- If there are power lines down in your neighborhood, call 9-1-1 and call the utility company. DO NOT GO NEAR DOWNED POWER LINES.
- Dress to stay warm - wear layers, including a sweater, sweatshirt or even a jacket. You lose heat through your hands and the top of your head. Wear gloves and a knit hat, not just a baseball cap. If you will be unable to stay warm in your own home, call friends or family to see if there is a warm place you can go. BYU-I sometimes will also open their buildings to the public during major outages if they still have power and heat.
- Avoid opening your refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. Food inside should stay cold for hours if the door is left closed. If the power will be out for a long time, many times during the winter food can be set outside to stay cold.
- Unplug some of your major appliances. When the power comes back on, all of those appliances can create a drain or power surge. This can harm sensitive equipment. To avoid a power surge when the electricity returns, turn off computers, TVs, stereos and other unnecessary electronic equipment at the power source. Leave a light on so you'll know when the power is restored.
- If you have a generator, do not connect it to your home's power system unless it has been properly installed and disconnects you from the main power grid when it is operating. If you do not disconnect from the power grid, you can be sending electricity back down the lines; not just to your home. That could be deadly for power company workers.
- If you have a regular wood stove or fireplace, you can use it for heat. However, DO NOT USE kerosene heaters, BBQs, or any outdoor type heater inside. Such devices create poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas given off by combustion and could kill.
- Check on your elderly neighbors or those who may have medical conditions or use medical machinery that operates on electricity. Make sure they are dressed appropriately warm. If someone needs to have machinery that operates on electricity, move her to a place where electricity is working.
- If you have to go out, drive carefully. Remember that traffic signals may be out during a power outage. Drive defensively.These guidelines were taken and adjusted from the California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center
