What to do during a 72-hour power outage

Most power outages are short. Some aren't. A storm, a flood or a fault on the network can leave homes without electricity for a day or more, and the first few minutes set the tone. Here's a calm, practical timeline, with what official guidance in Canada recommends at each step.

The first 15 minutes

1. Check whether it's just you. Look at your fuse box or consumer unit. If the neighbours' lights are off too, it's likely a wider power outage.
2. Get light safely. Use flashlights, not candles, to reduce the risk of fire.
3. Report it and check for updates with your electricity network or supplier, using a charged phone or a battery radio.
4. Switch off appliances that could come back on unattended, such as ovens, irons and heaters, and leave one light on so you know when power returns.

The first few hours

• Keep the fridge and freezer closed. They stay cold for longer if you don't open them.
• Check on others. Older neighbours, people living alone and anyone who relies on powered medical equipment may need help.
• Save your phone battery. Lower the brightness, close apps and use a power bank.
• Keep warm or cool. Close curtains and doors to keep heat in during winter, or out in summer.

Food and fridges

A full freezer keeps food frozen for longer than a half-empty one, and a closed fridge stays cold for some hours. Eat food from the fridge first, then the freezer, then your long-life store. If food has been warm for too long, or you're unsure, throw it away.

Long-life food that doesn't need the fridge once opened is the most useful kind in a power outage. The best foods to stockpile notes which ones those are.

Heat and lighting

Flashlights and battery lanterns are the safest light. In cold weather, gather in one room, close doors and curtains, layer clothes and use blankets. Never use a gas or charcoal barbecue, a patio heater or a generator indoors: they produce carbon monoxide, which can kill.

Solar panels and home batteries don't always keep working in a power outage; many systems switch off for safety unless they're set up to supply the home on their own. Check how yours works before you rely on it.

Communications

Cell networks may slow down or stop working in a long power outage, so keep a battery or wind-up radio and spare batteries. Write important phone numbers on paper. Agree in advance how your household will contact each other and where you'll meet.

From 24 to 72 hours

• Keep checking official updates on the radio.
• Use your stored water and long-life food; for two adults, three days is 18 L of drinking water and about 13,500 calories of food.
• Keep checking on neighbours and anyone vulnerable.
• If anyone relies on powered medical equipment or medicine that needs a fridge, follow the plan you agreed with their doctor, pharmacist or equipment supplier, and contact the emergency services if their health is at risk.

When the power comes back

Switch appliances back on one at a time. Check the fridge and freezer and throw away anything that's no longer safe. Restock your flashlights, batteries and power banks, replace any food and water you used, and think about what you'd do differently next time.

SupKit keeps your emergency plan, contacts and supplies on your phone, so they're there even without power or signal.