Power Outage Preparation: Light, Power and Food Safety

Quick answer: Keep a torch per person, spare batteries and charged power banks. During an outage, keep the fridge and freezer closed: a closed fridge keeps food safe for about 4 hours, a full freezer for about 48 hours (24 hours if half full). Throw out perishable food that has been above 4 °C (40 °F) for 2 hours or more. Never run a generator, barbecue or camping stove indoors, and keep generators at least 6 m (20 ft) from windows, doors and vents.

When the power goes out, most of modern life pauses: lights, fridges, pumps, routers, card machines and often water pressure. Short outages are an inconvenience. Long ones, or repeated scheduled cuts like load-shedding, need a plan. The upside is that preparing for power cuts is cheap and very effective.

Before the power goes out

Ready.gov suggests starting with an inventory. Walk around your home and list everything that needs electricity. Then decide how you will cope without each one.

Lighting

One torch (flashlight) per person, plus a headlamp for cooking and chores.
LED lanterns for shared rooms. They are bright, cool and safe around children.
Spare batteries in the sizes you use. Store them in a cool, dry place.
Rechargeable or solar lights if outages are frequent.

Avoid candles where you can. The American Red Cross advises using torches rather than candles because of the fire risk. If you must use candles, never leave them unattended and keep them away from curtains, children and pets.

Phones, power banks and solar

Your phone is your radio, torch, map and lifeline. Keep it charged.

Power banks: a typical 10,000 mAh bank can recharge most phones roughly 1.5–2 times, depending on the phone. Keep at least one per adult, fully charged.
Portable power stations: larger batteries (measured in watt-hours, Wh) can run a router, lights or a fan for hours. Check the rating against the devices you want to run.
Small solar panels: a folding panel can recharge power banks and lights during the day. Useful for longer outages.
Car chargers: a car can charge phones, but only run the engine outdoors, never in a closed garage.
Battery or wind-up radio: for official updates when mobile data is down.

Save battery by lowering screen brightness, turning on low-power mode and closing apps you don’t need.

Heating, cooling and cooking

Plan a safe outdoor cooking option, such as a gas braai, barbecue or camping stove, with spare fuel. Ready.gov is clear these are for outdoor use only.
For cold climates, have warm clothing, blankets and sleeping bags. Pick one room to keep warm and close the doors.
For hot climates, have water, a battery fan and a plan to stay cool in the shade.

Medical needs

If anyone uses powered medical equipment or fridge medicines such as insulin, talk to your doctor or medical supplier about a power-cut plan now. See our guide to medications in emergencies.

Safety basics

Fit carbon monoxide (CO) alarms with battery backup on every level of your home, as Ready.gov recommends.
Have a fire extinguisher and know how to use it.
Learn how to open electric gates and garage doors by hand.

Want to know where your household stands overall? Check how many days your household would last. The free calculator includes backup power in your score.

During an outage

Fridge and freezer food safety

Keep doors closed as much as possible. These timings come from FoodSafety.gov and Ready.gov:

Appliance	Keeps food safe (door closed)
Fridge	About 4 hours
Full freezer	About 48 hours
Half-full freezer	About 24 hours

Tips to stretch those times:

Keep a fridge thermometer inside. Safe is 4 °C (40 °F) or below; freezer is −18 °C (0 °F) or below.
Fill empty freezer space with bottles of frozen water. A full freezer stays cold longer, and you get drinking water as it thaws.
Group frozen food together so it keeps itself cold.
Use dry ice for long outages. Ready.gov says 25 lb (about 11 kg) of dry ice keeps a 10 cubic foot (about 280 litre) freezer below freezing for 3–4 days. Handle it with gloves and keep the area ventilated.
Eat fridge food first, then freezer food, then your shelf-stable stockpile.

Carbon monoxide: the hidden danger

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas produced when fuel burns. It can kill in minutes. Outages are a common time for poisoning because people bring generators, grills and heaters indoors.

Never run a generator inside your home, garage, basement, shed or crawlspace, even with windows open.
Keep generators outdoors and at least 6 m (20 ft) away from windows, doors and vents.
Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. Ready.gov warns this raises the risk of CO poisoning.
Never use a charcoal grill, braai, barbecue or camping stove indoors.
Know the symptoms: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion. If you suspect CO, get everyone into fresh air immediately and call your local emergency number.

Protect your appliances

Switch off or unplug appliances and electronics. Power can return with surges that damage equipment. Leave one light on so you know when the power is back.

After the power returns

Check food before you eat it. Throw away perishable food (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, leftovers) that has been above 4 °C (40 °F) for 2 hours or more, or that smells, looks or feels unusual.
Never taste food to decide if it’s safe. When in doubt, throw it out.
Frozen food with ice crystals, or that is still 4 °C (40 °F) or below, can usually be refrozen, though quality may drop.
Fridge medicines: Ready.gov advises that if the power is out for more than a day, you should discard medication that needs refrigeration unless the label says otherwise. Check with your pharmacist before throwing away anything essential, especially insulin.
Recharge everything and restock batteries.

Living with load-shedding and scheduled cuts

In countries with rolling blackouts, outages are predictable. That makes planning easier.

Follow the schedule from your utility or an official app, and plan around it.
Charge during “on” periods: phones, power banks, lights and laptops.
Put the router on a small UPS or power bank so you keep internet during short cuts.
Cook with gas or ahead of time. Use flasks to keep water hot for drinks.
Batch your fridge use. Open it once, take what you need, close it.
Use surge protectors on TVs, computers and appliances.
Keep your car tank at least half full. Fuel pumps need power too.

Power outage checklist

Prepare once and power cuts become a minor interruption instead of a crisis. Always follow instructions from your local authorities and utility during extended outages.