The power's back — now what?

Bring appliances back gradually, not all at once

When power returns, everything switching on at the same instant can cause a surge that trips breakers or stresses the grid. Before the outage, unplug or switch off sensitive electronics and major appliances; when power's back, wait a few minutes, then turn them on one at a time. Leave one light on so you know the moment power returns, per Ready.gov.

Protect electronics from the surge

Restoration and nearby switching can send voltage spikes down the line. The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI) recommends keeping computers, TVs, and other sensitive equipment on surge protectors, and unplugging them entirely during the outage as the surest protection.

Check your food before you eat it

Don't assume it's fine because the lights are back. Per USDA/FoodSafety.gov: throw out perishables held above 40 °F for more than 2 hours; frozen food with ice crystals or still at/below 40 °F can be refrozen. Never taste to decide. Full rules are in our food-safety guide.

Look for electrical damage

If you smell burning, see scorched or melted outlets, notice flickering or partial power, or the outage involved flooding near the panel or wiring, keep the affected circuits off and call a licensed electrician — and the utility if the damage is on their side (mast, service drop). Never touch a downed line even after power is "back."

Reset and restock

Reset clocks, GFCI outlets, and tripped breakers; check that the sump pump, alarms, and any medical equipment are running. Recharge phones and power banks, and replace any emergency supplies you used — the next outage plans itself best right after this one.

Was your estimate right?

Curious whether the restoration time held up? We grade every estimate we publish against when power actually returned, in public, on our accuracy page.