What Is the First Thing You Should Do in a Power Outage?

What Is the First Thing You Should Do in a Power Outage?

The first action in a power outage depends on whether the outage is isolated to your home or affects the neighbourhood. The answer determines whether the problem is inside your electrical system or on the utility side — and what to do next.

Check Your Panel First

• Before calling the utility, check your main electrical panel. If your main breaker has tripped, reset it — this indicates a whole-home overload or a fault on your service entrance wiring, not a utility outage
• If individual breakers have tripped, reset them after determining what caused the overload — do not simply reset a breaker that trips again immediately
• If the panel looks normal (no tripped breakers) and neighbours also have no power, the outage is on the utility side

Protect Your Equipment

• Turn off or unplug major appliances and sensitive electronics — computers, televisions, audio equipment — before power is restored. Voltage surges when utility power returns can damage equipment that was on at the time of the outage
• Leave one light switch on so you know when power has been restored
• Do not open the refrigerator or freezer unnecessarily — a full freezer holds safe temperatures for 24–48 hours if the door stays closed

When to Call an Electrician, Not the Utility

If your home loses power but neighbours do not, and your panel shows no tripped breakers, the fault may be in your service entrance conductors, the meter base, or the connection between the utility’s service and your panel. This requires both the utility and a licensed electrician to investigate. EZSMART diagnoses service entrance and panel issues across Ontario. Contact us if your outage is isolated to your property and does not resolve after checking the panel.

Amir Azimipour

Electrician Since 2008 Journeyman Electrician Designated Master Electrician at EZSMART Corp