Power Outage Safety

Knowledge is power!

Power outages can happen at any time, and their duration can be unpredictable. During a power outage, NTPC crews work to fix the problem and restore your electricity as quickly as possible.

Power outages are cause by many different circumstances including electrical storms, wind storms, vehicle accidents or by birds or animals coming into contact with the electrical system. Whatever the case may be, your time without electricity doesn’t have to be an inconvenience.

Print out the checklists below and equip your home so that you remain comfortable and safe during a power outage.

Prepare for a power outage

First, check whether the power failure is limited to your home. If your neighbour’s power is still on, check your circuit breakers or fuse box.

If the power outage is neighbourhood-wide, call NTPC. Tell us about the outage so we can send the right crews and equipment to the right location. Call NTPC: 1-800-661-0854

Before an outage

  • Make a plan of action with everyone in your household
  • Have local emergency contact numbers on-hand
  • Create an emergency kit
  • Regularly check the batteries in your smoke detectors
  • Protect sensitive electrical equipment (computers, DVD players, televisions, etc.) by installing surge protectors

It’s best to be prepared for a minimum of 72 hours

Put together an emergency kit with the following items:

  • Flashlights (hand cranked are recommended)
  • Radios and batteries (however, hand cranked radios are recommended)
  • Candles and matches (keep away from children)
  • Non-perishable and ready-to-eat foods
  • Bottled water
  • Manual can opener
  • Warm clothing and blankets
  • First aid kit
  • Games, cards and books
  • Emergency contact numbers
  • Extra batteries

During an outage

  • Never use a camp stove, barbecue, propane or kerosene heater indoors.
  • Deadly carbon monoxide gases can build up without notice.
  • Use candles with extreme caution. They can be a fire hazard. Flashlights are a better alternative.
  • Turn off all the lights except for one inside and one outside your home. This makes it easier on the electrical system to restore power. If everyone leaves everything turned on trying to turn over the electrical system in cold weather is like trying to turn over your car’s engine. It just doesn’t have enough torque. So take a tour of your home and turn off your appliances, light switches and entertainment units.
  • Keep the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep your food from spoiling
  • If you’re on the road, take it easy. Drive with extreme caution and prepare for traffic delays. Remember to treat all intersections as a four-way stop.

After an outage

  • Expect a momentary power fluctuation after you regain electricity. This occasionally happens as part of a restoration effort.
  • Check on your refrigerator and freezer to make sure they are back on. Sometimes dedicated circuit breakers for larger appliance can trip off when the power goes out, particularly during an electrical storm.
  • Reset your clocks, automatic timers and alarms.
  • Restock your emergency kit with anything you may have used up.

For more information on how to be prepared check out Public Safety Canada’s website: www.getprepared.ca