Outages at Home
Be prepared. Print off a copy of this information about what to do when the power goes out and keep it with your emergency supplies.
What should be in an emergency kit?
What to do if an outage occurs
Be prepared
Develop a preparedness plan and share it with your family. Be sure everyone knows what to expect and what to do. Have a contingency plan in case power is out for a longer period.
Make a list of local emergency contact numbers (fire, police, ambulance, etc.). Include NTPC 1-800-661-0854 for reporting an outage.
Prepare an emergency kit and store it in an easy-to find location. Check regularly to make sure the kit is well stocked and that all equipment is in good working order.
Use surge protectors to protect sensitive electrical equipment such as computers, DVD players and TVs.
Contact your health centre if you or someone you know has special needs during an outage (e.g., is dependent upon electronic life-support systems). If you rely on life-sustaining equipment, be prepared to be self-reliant by having adequate backup in the event of a power outage. If power is out for a longer period, it’s important to have a contingency plan, such as moving to the home of a family member or friend in an area with power.
What should be in an emergency kit?
Prepare for the first 72 hours! Stock your emergency kit with these essentials:
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You may need additional supplies for lengthy outages.
Remember to pull out your emergency kit a couple of times per year and make sure it still meets the needs of your household. Replace batteries with fresh ones.
Store the kit in a designated place known to everyone in your household.
72-hour emergency kit and preparedness plan: Getprepared.ca.
What to do if an outage occurs
Check whether the power failure is limited to your home. If your neighbour's power is still on, check your circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
If you reside outside of Yellowknife or Hay River call NTPC at 1-800-661-0854 on your cell phone and tell us about the outage so we can send the right crews and equipment to the right location. If you reside in Yellowknife or Hay River then you should call Northland Utilities.
Tune into your local radio station for storm and power outage updates.
Turn off all lights except one inside your home and one outside. The inside light lets you know and the outside light lets NTPC crews know, when the power is back on.
During an outage
Never go near or touch a fallen power line. Treat it as though it is live. Stay at least ten metres (33 feet) away at all times and do not attempt to remove debris surrounding the line.
Determine whether the outage is limited to your home. If your neighbour’s power is still on, check your circuit breaker panel or fuse box. If your neighbour’s power is off, call NTPC at 1-800-661-0854 from your cell phone to report the outage.
Turn off electrical appliances and lights. Appliances start up automatically upon restoration of service; turning them off will prevent injury, damage or fire. Restoring electrical service in frigid temperatures is more difficult if everyone’s appliances are on. The load factor will be too high. You can help by making sure everything is turned off or unplugged.
Never use a camp stove, barbecue, or propane or kerosene heater indoors. A build-up of carbon monoxide gas in unventilated areas can be deadly.
For safety reasons do not use candles. They are a potential fire hazard. Use flashlights instead.
After an outage
Restoring electrical service in frigid temperatures is more difficult if everyone’s appliances are on. The load factor will be too high. You can help by making sure everything is turned off or unplugged.
Occasionally, after restoration, even after your power has come back on, a momentary outage may occur as part of the restoration effort.
Give the electrical system a chance to stabilize. Turn on the most essential appliances first, and wait 10 to 15 minutes before reconnecting the others.
Check to make sure your refrigerator and freezer are back on. Check all frozen foods to determine the extent of thawing. Check your freezer guide to determine whether food can be safely refrozen. If in doubt, throw it out.
Remember to reset your clocks, automatic timers, and alarms.
Restock your emergency kit, so the supplies will be there when they are needed again.
Portable generator safety precautions
For safety reasons, NTPC doesn’t recommend the use of portable home generators.