What to Do When the Power Goes Out
When you rely on something as much as electricity, it can be unnerving when your power goes out. So, what should you do?
If your power goes out, first check to see if your neighbors' power went out too. If it's just your place, or if it's isolated to just one spot of your home, there are a couple of important things to check that can often restore power.
Before reporting an outage
Reset your GFCI outlets (the ones with the little reset button in the middle). These are usually found in kitchens, baths and laundry rooms.
Check your electrical panel to see if any circuits have tripped. In some cases, you may need to reset all your breakers by turning them off for about 15 seconds and then turning them back on.
Report the outage and receive updates
If none of our tips restore your power, be sure to report the outage to stay in the know.
If you're a residential or small business customer, we'll text you if your power goes out, so you shouldn't need to report it. But if you don't get a text, you can still report outages. Just download our mobile app, report online 
or call:
What additional steps should you take?
Here’s how you can prevent possible power-surge damage and avoid overloading the system when power is restored.
Turn on one outside and one inside light so you and PGE crews will know when service is restored.
Turn off major appliances at the breaker box and unplug other sensitive electrical equipment like TVs and computers.
If you have a backup generator and plan to use it, please review our tips for using generators safely.
Call PGE if your neighbor’s power comes back on but yours does not.
Call PGE and turn off the breaker if your lights are very dim or very bright once your power is restored.
Food for thought
To keep food in your fridge and freezer cold, avoid opening doors as much as possible. Add bagged or block ice, or move your food to a cooler with ice. If it's below 40 degrees out, a cooler or box outside will also keep food cold. Just be sure to keep an eye out for rising temperatures. Check out other helpful info from FoodSafety.gov.
Carbon monoxide poisoning risks are real. Never use a charcoal grill or portable gas-powered generator inside your home, garage or carport.
Check on elderly or impaired neighbors, if possible, to see if they need help.
Know how to operate the manual release lever on your automatic garage door.
Here's how to open an automatic garage door when the power is out:
If extreme heat means you need a place to cool off, find information by county at 211info.org.
How we restore power
When a major storm or event hits, we work as quickly as safety allows to get your power back on.
Plan for medical needs
Use medical life-support equipment? Have a plan in place and consider a backup generator in case of an extended power outage.