Don’t get caught in the dark

It’s a dark and stormy night outside and before you know it, the power in your home goes out. Luckily, in this day and age, most people have a built-in flashlight on their smartphone. However, there are a few other things you may want to have on hand in case of a power outage. There are also a few safety tips you should follow to make sure you and your family are safe during any power outage.

Power outage safety tips from your Gilroy electricians

• Keep a few candles and a box of matches on hand. Make sure you place the candles in a safe place where children and pets wouldn’t be able to get to them or accidentally knock them over.
• Keep actual flashlights in your home, and a set of extra batteries.
• Avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer during a power outage so you can conserve the cold air in your appliance. This will keep your food from perishing and it will slow down the rate at which your food warms up. If your power has been out for more than four hours, it is likely that the easily perishable food in your refrigerator will no longer be edible. Your freezer should be able to keep food frozen for 24-48 hours depending on how full your freezer is.
• Keep sock warmers in your home in case a power outage happens in the colder months.
• Keep bottled water in your pantry.
• If it’s rainy or wet outside, avoid operating a generator or touching a generator when your hands are wet.

If you’ve been without power for multiple hours, consider going to an emergency shelter or to a friend or family’s home that has power. At Wright Electrical Company, we have 24-hour emergency electricians who can help with your electrical needs, whenever you may need us.