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June 24, 2021 • In Electrical, GEM Featured Blog Post • 5 Min Read
By GEM
Power outages never come at a convenient time. In the dark about what went wrong and when your power will come back? Learn more about power outages, what causes them, and power outage protocol to shed some light –– and more importantly, keep you and your family safe and happy.
If you suspect the power outage issue is one you can fix yourself, here’s how to check your circuit breaker.
Simply put, a power outage is the loss of power or electrical supply in a given area of the power grid. A single home, a whole block, or even an entire city could go dark.
Power outages can take on different forms:
Recognize the kind of power outage you’re experiencing? Let’s look into what could have caused it.
There are a number of reasons you may be experiencing a power outage. Understanding the most common causes can help you identify what exactly went wrong and better prepare for these issues in the future.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of outages to help determine what went awry:
Check to see if the trees near your home are in need of maintenance or trimming, especially as nature and the climate are major culprits of outages.
Outages often occur when bad weather hits your area. Here are some of the forecasts you should look out for:
It’s important to stay on top of your local forecast –– that way you’ll be prepared when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
While some power outages may end minutes after they begin, others can last from hours to days to weeks.
The duration of your outage is largely dependent on the severity of the damage. Your best bet is to contact your utility provider for an estimated time to restore the power. Many utility companies also provide power outage maps or outage alerts to check with real-time updates.
So, you’re dealing with a power outage today. Let’s break down what can be done, as well as some proper power outage etiquette.
When a power outage hits, it’s best practice to notify your utility provider even if they may already be informed.
Often, companies provide a phone number you can text or they’ll likely offer the choice to report the power loss online. Check your utility company’s website to see the options in your area.
Can’t bear being left in the dark about your outage status? Power outage maps will be your best friend!
These maps, which you can find on your utility company’s website, can provide real-time information on the range of the outage, crew status, and estimated restoration time.
To reach your local power outage map on your utility company’s website, you can use this national power outage map and click on your current location.
Now that you’ve contacted your utility company and know how to stay up to date on the status, let’s take a look at what you should (and shouldn’t) do for the time being:
Do
Don’t
There are a number of measures you can take to keep you and your family safe and as comfortable as possible if and when the power goes out again:
Establishing an action plan can be the difference between a safe and quick power recovery and an uneasy, stressful situation. Check out how to create an action plan when you’re expecting a storm to prepare for these events.
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