1. Home
2. Blogs

Tips to Prepare Your Home for Power Outages

• 
• 
• 
• 0
• 0

Power Outages are common in most of the states in India whether it is a city or a small town or a village, it happens everywhere. The only difference is the frequency and the duration. Cities may have fewer outages compared to small towns and villages. The power cuts in cities don’t also last for a long duration, unlike in villages.

Sometimes these outages are seasonal due to high demand, sometimes it is due to a fault or some other reason. No matter, what the reason is, it is not easy to carry on with your day-to-day activities without a power supply. Let us find out how you can prepare yourself and your home for power outages. Always protect your home with a home insurance cover against any damage or loss due to a natural calamity or any unfortunate event.

Common Reasons for Power Outages in India

There are a number of reasons which can lead to power outages like;

● Demand Vs Supply:

Demand for electric supply is always increasing especially in summer seasons when supply struggle to match the high demands. We can keep a check on demand by using energy-efficient appliances and instruments to save electricity.

● System Failure and Fault:

System failure is one of the most common reasons for power cuts in India especially in lesser developed regions. Grid failure, transformer fault, breakage of power lines, etc are common causes. However, with technological advances, such instances have reduced but it is still there in rural areas and small towns.

● Shortage of Coal:

Power generation in India does not only depend on coal supply. However, there have been instances in the past where authorities have to resort to load shedding due to the short supply of coal. Even today coal makes up 70% of the resources used for power generation.

How to Prepare for Power Outages

Power cuts can be sudden due to faults, they can be planned or frequent due to high demands in peak seasons like summers. Here are some tips to deal with them in all the scenarios.

Sudden Power Outage:

● Ensure that it is a power outage and not a fault in your home’s wiring or fuse. If there is an unexpected power cut, always check whether there is a power supply in your neighbourhood or not. In case you are the only one, facing a power cut, check if there is a trip in mains or a short circuit and get it repaired.

● Call the electricity department to find out the reason for the sudden power cut in your area and how long will it take to resume the supply. This will help you plan accordingly. Calling the electricity office has another advantage that in case there is an issue with the power line at your street only, chances are that department might not be aware of it. So if you call them they will get to know and the issue will be resolved timely.

● If resuming the power supply is going to take a few hours, you can go out for a drive especially during summer as it gets really hot inside the house without any power. Before going out, remember to switch off all the appliances and if you have any ice cream stored in the freezer consume it before it melts. It will not only give you some relief from the heat but also save the mess due to the melting of ice cream.

Always ensure your home and its content with a comprehensive home insurance cover to protect against any sudden damages to appliances or wiring due to voltage fluctuations or unexpected power failures or any other unforeseen event.

Planned Power Outages

Preparing for a planned power cut is a lot easier as you can schedule your day accordingly.

● Charge your inverters, emergency lights, phones, and power banks.

● Schedule your chores accordingly. If you need to use any appliance like water pumps, washing machines, microwaves, or a mixer, do it beforehand when there is power.

● Store sufficient water both for drinking and other purposes.

● Prepare meals for the day as you won’t like to do it in the hot weather without a power supply.

● You can also plan your shopping or visit a mall during the power outage.

Frequent Power Outages

If power outages are an everyday thing in your area, you need to prepare your home and have a lifestyle accordingly.

● Invest in a good inverter before the summer season starts. It is not possible to deal with long power cuts daily. In such a case best would be to get an inverter with a good battery according to your daily power consumption. Ensure that you keep it charged and maintain it well.

● You cannot run heavy appliances such as fridge, microwave, or AC, on an inverter for long. So use them when you have a power supply.

● Do not open your fridge frequently during a power cut as it loses its coolness. Invest in an earthen pot to store drinking water for summers. It keeps the water cool without any power and is very healthy also.

● Keep your house well ventilated, wear light clothes and stay hydrated to deal with power cuts in summers.

● Using solar-powered lights, pumps, and batteries. It will not only help during power outages but will also help in reducing your electricity bills.

Conclusion

An uninterrupted power supply is still a goal to achieve in India. It is not just the responsibility of the government but also the responsibility of the public to contribute towards achieving this goal. We should all make efforts to save power and use it responsibly as we have limited resources. Switching to alternatives and making lifestyle changes is the solution. Using electricity-efficient appliances, avoiding any wastages, and installing an integrated off-grid solar power system in your homes can help a lot in reducing your dependence on a centralized power supply. It is recommended to get a comprehensive home insurance cover for securing your home against any uncertainty.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

RELATED ARTICLES

5 Reasons to have Home Surveillance System for Your Residence

Here’s How to Childproof Your Home, Room by Room

How to Save Yourself from Home Fire

---

• 
• 
• 
•