Call your electrician
It’s good to keep in mind that sudden and unexpected power outages may occur due to a number of variables, spanning from an overloaded circuit to a damaged fuse box. If you believe that damage has occurred due to bad weather, it’s crucial that you call your electrician immediately to come and assess the situation.
Emergency electricians in Melbourne are well-versed in the dangers that electrical storms pose on your home’s fuse box, and they’re guaranteed to act swiftly to lessen the risk of fires and further potential damage.
Emergency electricians can provide services both during and outside of business hours that other electricians may not be able to offer, like full fuse box and switch replacements. With this in mind, it’s vital that you find your household a fully-licensed and experienced emergency electrician to ensure that you have access to prompt electrical assistance in this coming winter.
Using emergency power
It must also be said that in rare instances, even emergency electricians may feel the need to disconnect your power overnight in order to conduct repairs during better weather conditions. If this becomes the case, you and your family will need to be prepared for a powerless night, and that will mean making sure that you have adequate emergency lighting and potentially even portable batteries and a gas generator. Be sure to keep an LED flashlight or two handy, preferably in an easily locatable bag (which will become your emergency power outage kit) with a good amount of replacement batteries.
Flat-based flashlights are quite handy in a power outage as they can be set down like candles. Portable battery packs are perfect for ensuring that your mobile phones stay charged enough to make phone calls if needed. Be sure to keep some fully juiced and ready to go in your emergency kit. And finally, a gas generator or even just a gas-powered camp stove may come in extra handy during a winter power outage that may leave you wanting a warm meal.
Use your esky to store food
Speaking of meals, you’ll want to consider moving your fridge and freezer contents to eliminate food waste which may occur depending on how long you’re expecting to be out of power. Generally, food in your freezer can stay good for about twenty-four hours after the initial power outage, but every time you open that freezer door you’ll be bringing that deadline forward by a good hour or two.
The best way of ensuring that your food stays fresh during a prolonged outage is simply by relocating all your major perishables (like meat and dairy) to an icebox or esky. All you need to do is make a trip to your local petrol station and buy a bag of ice, and you’ll have significantly decreased your risk of getting food poisoning on top of already being in a power outage. It’s a genuine no-brainer.
Finally, it’s also worth keeping in mind that power outages will always be incredibly temporary situations, even in the harshest weather. If it’s too tricky to be at home during an overnight power outage in the middle of winter, you should not hesitate to let your friends and loved ones know. It’s better that you prioritise your own safety and physical well-being this winter.
