As a local Dallas and Plano electrician, ElectricMan Inc. wants to make it a little easier for local residents and businesses to prepare for power outages that can come with higher stress on the power grid during extreme weather. With temperatures well into triple digits, and yesterday’s announcement by ERCOT of an Energy Emergency Level 1 Power Watch, power supplies are straining to keep up. It is very important to ensure that you are prepared for a situation where you may find yourself without electricity.
Tips To Help Prepare Your Home For A Power Outage
Here are the top ten items to keep in mind when preparing for a power outage in your area.
- Alternative Power Options: The best way to avoid hardships without power is to equip your home or business with a backup power system, utilizing stored power, and alternative re-charging/supply sources such as solar or wind generators. This will help you eliminate the need for any of the additional measures below. Add up what can be avoided by having this one option.
- Easy Access to Flashlights: Place a reliable flashlight in each room of your home where they can be easily accessed, along with additional batteries.
- Contact Information For The Power Company: It will be important to stay informed of the situation by contacting your power provider directly.
- First Aid Supplies: Walking around in the dark can be dangerous. Keep enough supplies on hand to treat any injuries that may occur.
- Alternative Cooking Methods: If a power outage lasts for very long, you and your family will inevitably get hungry. A propane stove or supplies for a wood or coal-fired grill can be essential in providing food for your family.
- Extra Water If You Have A Well: An often forgotten, but vital detail, is the fact that most well water is transported by an electric pump. If the electricity to that pump goes out, you will need another source of clean water.
- Emergency Meals: A good idea for meals that are easily prepared without electricity would be canned food or items that can be prepared using simple hot water from your propane stove, or heated quickly to preserve fuel.
- Alternative Charging Options: Most communication is accomplished by cellular phone, so it is important to have additional charging methods such as car chargers, or a hand crank charger to keep your phone operational.
- Internet Hotspots: In an extended outage, you may need the internet to keep up with news, work, or as entertainment. Personal wireless “hotspots” can be charged and provide wireless internet access to a laptop computer, or if the power outage is isolated, you can find out which businesses in your area offer a wireless internet connection. Keep in mind that your battery life will only last for a limited time, so be sure you have alternative charging methods for your computer as well.
- Battery or Hand Crank Powered Radio: If your power outage is due to a natural disaster, one of the most reliable ways of obtaining information is the radio. This can keep you up to date on the path of a tornado, or the status of any other natural disaster.