Do These Five Things When Your NJ Power Goes Out

Don’t Be In The Dark About Storm Power Outages

It’s been 20 years since one of the biggest electric blackouts on the North East coast. While new safeguards should prevent it from happening to the grid again, New Jersey weather doesn’t always cooperate. Plus, earlier this summer, officials warned about potential rolling blackouts across the US. So many things can interrupt your power, from excessive heat, to lightning hitting a transformer down your block. So, be sure to do these five things when your NJ power goes out.

Don’t Open Your Fridge

Keep your fridge and freezer closed. Open these as little as possible throughout the time that the power is out. These appliances are great at keeping cold air in. And that’s exactly what you want to keep in when they’re not running. When the electricity comes back, be sure to make sure that your food is safe to eat. According to the FDA, you have four hours with refrigerated items. But fully packed freezers can last up to 48 hours before items warm up to become unsafe.

Cover Your Exits

It’s no secret that when the weather is disgustingly hot, you’re stuck to your air conditioner. If power goes out during the day, close blinds and cover windows to shut out ambient heat from your house. At night time, open up the windows to produce cross-breezes to keep temperatures down. This is also a great way to reduce your electricity bills during the summer months.

Protect Your Devices From Power Surges

When the power goes out or even when it comes back on, there can be a power surge. During storms, unplug valuable devices to prevent damage. For more convenience, you can plug them into surge protected outlets or power strips. This small step can prevent thousands of dollars of damage to sensitive electronics. And insurance doesn’t always cover you for lightning damage or surge damage. So, if you take these preventative measures, you’ll be better protected before something goes wrong.

Protect Your Family’s Health

There are some big things you should never do during a power outage to protect your own health and safety:

• Never approach a downed power line. Always assume power lines are energized and dangerous.
• Never run a generator inside your home, as these produce dangerous carbon monoxide gas.
• During the summer, keep bottled water on hand in case of a power outage, and be sure to stay hydrated. Power outages can cause problems with city water treatment. Stay alert to boil orders from your local water department following an outage.
• During the cold months, never use your gas oven to heat your home. You run the risk of fire, explosion, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Call Your NJ Electric Utility

If your power goes out, you should absolutely report it to your electric utility right away. Don’t call your third party provider. That’s because your local electric utility owns and maintains the network that brings the energy to your home. So, they are the ones you need to contact, just look for their phone number on your bill. You can also save their emergency number in your phone in the event of a power outage.

Nowadays, we use electricity for so many things. You can save a lot of time and money when you know more. Learn more about electricity in New Jersey at www.njenergyratings.com