Unexpected electrical power failure can be a major annoyance if you're not prepared. The following tips can help you to keep things running smoothly during a sudden power shortage.
Be aware that fixing electrical faults can be dangerous, so it's highly advisable to contact a professional electrician to assess and repair the damage.
How to cope when there's a power shortage in your home:
Follow these tips and you'll be prepared to cope if your home ever suffers a power shortage:
- Keep a torch with fresh batteries in an easy-to-find place.
- Turn off electrical appliances and lights, but leave one light switched on so you know when the power is back on.
- Be careful if you use other forms of heating and lighting (like paraffin heaters and candles).
- Remember that your doorbell probably won't work (unless it runs on batteries), nor will an alarm system (unless it has a battery back-up).
- If your electrical supplier forewarns you of the power cut, boil some water and keep it in a thermos flask. You can use it to make hot drinks or fill a hot water bottle if it's cold.
- Remember to reset electric timers, alarm clocks and so on when the power comes back on.
- Food in the freezer should keep for about eight hours without power. Don't open the freezer doors unless you have to. Check that food hasn't thawed when the power comes back on. If it has, throw it away – don't refreeze it.
Important information regarding our DIY help and advice
We try to make the advice on our website (www.HomeServe.com) as useful and reliable as possible. However, the purpose of this advice section of the website is to provide homeowners and private landlords with general guidance and useful tips only. It doesn't necessarily deal with every important topic or cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals and might not be relevant or appropriate in all circumstances. It is not designed to provide professional advice or financial advice and should not be relied on as such. Click here to read the disclaimer in full.