ELECTRICAL

HOW TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR A POWER OUTAGE

02/08/2023

ELECTRICAL

HOW TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR A POWER OUTAGE

02/08/2023

Due to windstorms damaging powerlines and electrical equipment, Vancouver faced numerous mass power outages in 2022. It affected thousands of residents all over B.C. Blackouts can be scary and extremely inconvenient. In addition, when you’re working from home and you can no longer access your devices, it can be stressful! In 2022, some residents experienced blackouts for as long as 10 days. When they’re longer than 24 hours and long-winded, it makes you realize how important it is to be better prepared for a power outage.

Most of the time, power outages are out of your control. They often don’t last longer than a few hours. But the thing is, you never know how long a blackout will last. With such uncertainty, it’s always wise to be better prepared than not at all.

Be Prepared for a Power Outage

Power outages most commonly occur during storms. There are several things you can have ready in case you have an electrical emergency such as a blackout. When you’re working from home, in the middle of cooking dinner or worried about all of the fresh groceries you just bought, you’re going to be glad that you were prepared for the blackout!

Reduce fire hazards: Trim trees that are potentially going to fall onto powerlines.
Regular inspection: Make sure your electrical systems are all in optimal condition.
Know how to use your electrical equipment: Overloaded circuits can lead to blowing out your fuse. Be mindful of the electrical use that your panel is able to handle.
Consider purchasing surge protection devices: You can better protect your appliances and other devices when you have a power surge.
Make sure your carbon monoxide detector is operating properly.
Outdoor camping stove and propane for outdoor use ONLY.
Always have frozen cooler packs stored in your freezer.
Weatherproof your home: Fresh chaulk and weatherstrips will be useful if a blackout happens during winter!
Have an emergency kit: When you’re better prepared for emergencies, you’ll feel less stressed.

What To Put In Your Electrical Emergency Kit

Flashlights
Fully charged external charger and batteries
Consider purchasing a backup power source like a generator
Emergency phone numbers pre-written on a notepad
If you have children: colouring book, crayons, and kids’ flashlight. Ask your child what else they would like in there.
First Aid Kit
Non-perishable snacks, food, and water
Some cash and coins
Optional: LED candles for ambiance

The Government of BC has a comprehensive emergency kit guide for you.

What To Do When Your Power Goes Out

First and foremost, go outside and see if your house is the only place without electricity. If you are the only house, find your fuse box or circuit breaker panel. Contact your local electrician for assistance.

Next, staying informed of what’s going on in your local area is extremely important. You can look up ‘[your neighbourhood] power outage’ on Google to find a map and updates.

Here’s the blackout map and updates for BC Hydro.

It may be wise to have an electrical emergency to-do list so you know exactly what to do when there’s a power outage:

Take note of what time the blackout began (refrigerated food will be spoiled after 4 hours)
Always keep your fridge and freezer doors closed.
Grab your emergency kit.
If you have kids, get them comfortable and reassure safety to them
Unplug and turn off all major electronics and appliances to prevent them from potential power surge damage.
Have important documents accessible, just in case.
Winter blackout: Everyone in one room will help you stay warm. Close all curtains to insulate your home better.

What To Do When Your Power Comes Back

Hurray! Your power is back! Here are some things you can do for everyone’s safety and well-being:

How long has it been since the power went out? If longer than 4 hours, throw out your refrigerated products. As the saying goes, “when in doubt, throw it out!”
If it's still stormy outside, stay inside until it's safe.
Check in and around your home for damage.
Give your home 30 mins to an hour for electricity to circulate again.
If you used anything from the emergency kit, replenish and return what was used.
If you notice some appliances and fixtures are not working properly, contact your local electrician for help.

Call High Mark's expert technicians to schedule your appointment for your electrical repairs and installations done today at 604-945-8060.

We hope this was helpful for potential future power outages. Hopefully, we don’t have any more that are as long as the 2022 blackouts. If you have any insight, feedback, or additional tips to add to our list, send us an email or message! You can find us on Instagram and Facebook.