Power outages are one of the biggest frustrations of this fast-paced technological era. We rely on electricity for almost every aspect of our daily lives, and when its flow is unexpectedly interrupted, most of us are less than happy about it. A little planning and preparation can help alleviate the disruptions caused by a power outage. Try these practical steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and your life moving should one occur:
It’s easiest to handle the unexpected when you already have a plan in place. Make a plan, including rules and expectations, and familiarize your family with it.
Meeting Place
Determine a meeting place for the family where emergency supplies are located. A meeting place will help ensure everyone is safe and accounted for.
Delegate Responsibilities
Whether it’s simply you carrying out the steps, or if everyone else in the family has a job, such as each child grabbing their own flashlight, be sure to go over the plan and each person’s part in advance.
Keep a Generator
Consider keeping a generator on hand for essential items, such as your refrigerator or any medical devices that depend on electricity. Keep your generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. Touching a wet generator can cause electrical shock or even death.
Assemble an Emergency Kit
Create a list of emergency supplies and keep them in a designated space. Ready.gov has a thorough list of items that can be used in several emergency situations. Take an inventory and add the following items to your kit for a power outage:
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Know your surroundings. It’s important to be aware of any details you’ll need to keep you and your family safe, as well as report to the utility in the case of an outage. Can you see the problem? Are there any obvious dangers to avoid?
Potential Dangers
Be Aware of Weather Conditions
If you’re experiencing a summer outage:
During winter outages:
The CDC website has additional resources for coping during extreme heat or cold.
AEP Energy only supplies the generation portion of your bill. Your local utility is responsible for the delivery of power and maintenance during outages. So when you find yourself without power, notify your utility after assessing the situation.
It is always a good idea to keep your utility’s phone number handy, preferably with your emergency supplies and in your wallet or purse, in case the power goes out unexpectedly when you’re not home.
You can typically report an outage either via telephone or on your utility’s website.
Have patience and plan for some fun. Unfortunately, power outages happen, and your utility line workers will work diligently to restore power to your home as quickly as possible.
You can make this less scary for children by having a few activities planned, such as games or storytelling by flashlight, keeping non-perishable snacks, food, and bottled water on hand, and reassuring them that the situation is only temporary.
When electrical power goes out unexpectedly, it can ruin your day and be frustrating, but try to stay calm and patient. Outage can happen at street-wide, city-wide, or state-wide levels. Your local utility will work as quickly as they can to restore power to your home.
If you have questions or need to report an outage, remember to call your local utility or reach out to them online.
AEP Energy does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, freedom from error, or value of any information herein. The information presented is provided “as is”, “as available”, and for informational purposes only, speaks only to events or circumstances on or before the date it is presented, and should not be construed as advice, a recommendation, or a guarantee of future results. AEP Energy disclaims any and all liabilities and warranties related hereto, including any obligation to update or correct the information herein. Summaries and website links included herein (collectively, “Links”) are not under AEP Energy’s control and are provided for reference only and not for commercial purposes. AEP Energy does not endorse or approve of the Links or related information and does not provide any warranty of any kind or nature related thereto.
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