Prepare your home and business for winter power outages

As an electrical contractor, I work with and think about electricity every day.   Unless you’re an electrician like me, you probably don’t give much thought to the fact that you have electricity available when you need it.  That is, until the power goes out!

Power outages are a seasonal fact of life here in the Comox Valley.  Did you know there are steps you can take to minimize disruption while your electrical service is temporarily down?  To help you prepare, here’s a link to a useful BC Hydro article on preparing for loss of power to your home.   It’s worth the read and by using this handy check list, you’ll have your home ready for winter power outages in no time!

5 TIPS TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR WINTER POWER OUTAGES:

1. Involve all household members so that each person can contribute towards and know about household preparations
2. Pay particular attention to those who can’t look after themselves [young children, persons with disabilities and the elderly].  Be prepared to care for vulnerable family members for up to several days without power.
3. Make a shopping list as you work through this check list [you may need to stock up on supplies such as batteries]
4. Remember to replace the back up batteries in your smoke detectors per the manufacturer’s recommendations so that they can continue to protect you in a power outage.
5. Back up your computers regularly to avoid data loss in the event of damage to your electronics during a power surge

If you are a business owner this article is invaluable and will help you prepare for loss of power at work.   Knowing your responsibilities as a business owner [and preparing your employees if applicable] means minimal interruption in your operations when the power goes out.  This Outage Plan checklist for business owners will guide you through the step by step process of planning how you will prepare for and continue your business activities when the power goes out.

Much like installing winter tires on your vehicle, preparing your home and business for winter power outages brings tremendous peace of mind.   Remember – you don’t have to do it all in one day!   Use the checklists and complete a little bit every day.    Of special note – if your home or business HAS experienced a power surge or a lightening strike, HERE are important instructions to follow from Technical Safety BC.

We hope this article has been helpful for you and we invite you to reach out to us if you need the assistance of a Licensed Master Electrician as you prepare your home and business for winter power outages.