Home / What to Do During a Power Outage: Safety Tips for Homes and Businesses

What to Do During a Power Outage: Safety Tips for Homes and Businesses

Have you ever wondered what to do during a power outage when darkness suddenly engulfs your home or business? Power cuts strike without warning, leaving us scrambling about trying to get the situation under control.

Weather events, electrical faults, system overloads, and grid failures are common causes of power cuts that can affect anything from a single property to entire neighbourhoods. Understanding the difference between a local fault at your premises and a wider network outage is crucial for your response.

If you’ve Googled ’emergency electrician near me’, you’re in luck. Mission Road Electrical will guide you through every step of managing power outages safely, helping you protect your property, equipment, and people when the lights go out.

First Steps to Take During a Power Cut

When the power goes out, your immediate actions can make all the difference. Start by checking your fuse board / consumer unit for any tripped circuits or switches in the ‘off’ position. Sometimes the solution is as simple as flipping a switch back on.

Next, determine whether it’s just your property affected by looking outside. Are your neighbours’ lights still on? If the outage appears widespread, reporting outages to the network provider by calling 105 in the UK will help you get updates on restoration times.

Focus on safety with electrical appliances by turning off sensitive equipment like computers and televisions to prevent damage from power surges when electricity returns. Keep your fridge and freezer doors firmly closed to maintain temperature.

And always use torches rather than candles for illumination to avoid fire risks. These simple steps protect both your property and your safety during those crucial first moments.

Safety Tips for Homes and Businesses

Power cut safety tips become even more critical when you’re responsible for others’ wellbeing. Let’s took a look at the essential tips to follow.

Immediate Safety Actions

  • Never use lifts during outages – guide people to stairwells with adequate lighting
  • Unplug all non-essential electrical devices to prevent surge damage when power returns
  • Keep emergency lighting accessible in corridors, exits, and workspaces

Business Continuity Planning

  • Ensure all staff understand evacuation procedures and emergency supply locations
  • Consider vulnerable people in your care – elderly residents, customers with mobility issues, or employees in hazardous areas
  • Install surge protection devices on main electrical panels to safeguard expensive equipment

For businesses, your continuity planning proves invaluable during these situations. Staff training and clear procedures can prevent panic and ensure everyone’s safety.

We recommend discussing your specific business continuity requirements with qualified professionals who understand your industry’s unique challenges and can design tailored solutions.

When to Call an Emergency Electrician

Recognising when you need electrical emergency response can prevent dangerous situations from escalating. If power has returned to neighbouring properties but yours remains dark, the problem likely lies within your electrical system.

Warning signs include:

  • Burning Smells
  • Sparking Sounds
  • Buzzing Noises Coming from Your Fuse Board or Consumer Unit

These indicate serious faults requiring immediate professional attention.

Repeated tripping of fuses or residual current devices (RCDs) suggests underlying electrical problems that won’t resolve themselves. Never ignore these safety mechanisms as they’re protecting you from potential electrocution or fire hazards.

Properties affected by flooding or fire face additional electrical risks, as water and heat can compromise wiring systems in ways that aren’t immediately visible.

At Mission Road Electrical, our rapid-response electrical service covers the entire South of England. We understand that electrical emergencies don’t follow business hours, which is why our qualified team responds quickly to keep your property safe and restore your power supply efficiently.

Prepare for Next Time: Preventative Maintenance & Backup Power

Smart property owners think beyond the current crisis to prevent future disruptions. Regular electrical inspections and maintenance can identify potential problems before they cause unexpected outages.

PAT testing ensures your portable appliances won’t overload circuits or cause dangerous faults. These proactive measures distinguish between planned vs unplanned outages, giving you control over your electrical systems.

Installing surge protection throughout your property safeguards valuable equipment from power fluctuations. Emergency lighting systems automatically activate during outages, keeping exits visible and operations running smoothly.

For businesses that can’t afford downtime, backup power solutions like generators or UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems provide seamless transitions during outages.

Mission Road Electrical offers comprehensive planned maintenance contracts tailored to your specific needs. Our electrical callout service includes regular inspections, testing schedules, and priority emergency response. Whether you need basic safety checks or complex backup power installations, we design solutions that fit your budget and requirements perfectly.

Why Choose Mission Road Electrical for Emergency Response

When electrical emergencies strike, you need a commercial electrician who combines speed with expertise. Our local response times across Southern England mean we reach you quickly when every minute counts. Since 2020, we’ve built our reputation on reliable emergency services for both domestic and commercial properties.

Our qualified electricians bring extensive experience to every callout, whether you’re dealing with a simple fuse board issue or complex commercial electrical systems. NICEIC accreditation and RECC approval demonstrate our commitment to industry standards and professional excellence. Businesses and homeowners throughout the South trust us because we deliver transparent pricing without hidden costs.

What sets us apart is our 100% guarantee on workmanship and parts. We don’t just fix the immediate problem, we ensure it stays fixed. Our highly trained professionals understand that electrical emergencies are stressful enough without worrying about service quality.

That’s why we combine competitive prices with exceptional service standards, giving you complete peace of mind during challenging situations.

Get Emergency Electrical Support When You Need It Most

Save Mission Road Electrical’s number today – 01202 283643. Don’t wait for the next power outage to discover what to do during a power outage.

Alternatively, for non-emergency requests, contact us now using our website’s contact form to discuss planned maintenance programmes. Schedule an electrical safety inspection to identify potential problems before they leave you in the dark.

As your trusted commercial electrician with 100% guarantee on all work and highly trained professionals, we’re here when you need us most. Established specialists across Southern England, we’re ready to help.

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Jonathan Talbot
11:25 17 Jul 25
Gary was friendly polite and reassuring in getting the job done in no time - just what we wanted, thank you!
Bea Lily
22:36 14 Jul 25
Absolute lifesaver, my fridge freezer was damaged during a move and the wires for the plug became disconnected from the fridge freezer. Phoned at 5:30pm, Jason was out by 7pm and had everything reconnected and back up and running perfectly. Thank you! Highly recommend and reasonable priced too for an out of hours call.
Daniel Stewart-Dexter
07:41 12 Jul 25
Brilliant service. Easy to book, relatively short wait time for appointment, deal with a human the whole time and the job that was done was immaculate. I had a fairly significant ask and was worried about scope creep as is usual with these things; but no, they came, they quoted, they got it done perfectly and they were friendly throughout. When more help was needed to get it done in time, they called in reinforcements so I wasn't inconvenienced for very long. Top work Luke and Liam.
atzela Toto
15:15 03 Jul 25
Absolutely the best electrical company , very helpful, professional . Definitely recommended to everyone 5 stars
Deborah Hopcroft
15:30 23 Jun 25
Really impressed with Luke, worked hard, non stop, was very knowledgeable, professional, polite and tidied up after he completed the job. Would recommend and use again
Simon Rood
17:43 19 Jun 25
Fantastic quality work from Luke. He installed full electrics for a garden room including hot tub, underfloor heating and WiFi enabled controls as well as neatly installing SWA cable. Good problem solving too. Neat, accurate, tidy, great attention to detail. Will be using mission road again. I already used them for an EV point install. Rob did that one, and again, fantastic.
Mark Davidson
10:27 19 Jun 25
Great people to deal with and excellent work by the installer.
Vindhiya
08:30 23 May 25
Jason gives best service in our home Poole for the radiator repair.THANK YOU
Rob H
15:15 22 May 25
Very pleased with all aspects - efficient and friendly office staff plus Gary as a highly professional yet very personable electrician who went the extra mile. Would highly recommend!
Joy Rawlin
08:52 14 May 25
An extremely efficient, reliable and professional service from Gary. He was always on time, and communicated clearly. A clean and tidy worker, and very personable. Would not hesitate to use again.