What to Do During a Power Outage at Home
If your power just went out, here's what matters most: stay calm, stay safe, and work through a few quick checks before you do anything else. This guide walks you through each step, including how to protect your food, electronics, and family until the lights come back on.
Brda Electric has served St. Louis and Southern Illinois homeowners for more than 35 years, so we've seen just about every outage scenario Midwest weather can throw at a house. Here's how to handle yours.
First, Figure Out If It Is Just Your Home
Before you call anyone, check your main electrical panel. If you can safely reach it, look for a tripped breaker or a blown fuse.
- If you find a tripped breaker, reset it once. If power comes back, the outage was a local trip, and you're done.
- If the same breaker trips again right away, stop resetting it and call an electrician instead. A breaker that won't hold is usually a sign it's time for a breaker replacement, not another reset, and repeated resets can turn into a fire risk.
Next, look outside. Are your neighbors' porch lights and the streetlights on your block dark too?
- A dark street points to a grid outage. The fix is on Ameren's end, not yours.
- A dark house on an otherwise lit street points to your own electrical service.
This one check tells you who to call next: the utility or an electrician. A grid outage means you wait for Ameren to restore service to the neighborhood. A problem confined to your house means the fix depends on you, not on when the street comes back on.
If the Whole Neighborhood Is Dark, Report It to Ameren
Ameren is the electric utility serving the St. Louis metro area and Southern Illinois. If your street is dark, report the outage online and sign up for outage alerts so you know when crews expect to restore service. You can text REG to AMEREN (263736) for outage updates.
If you see a downed power line, call 911 first, then report it to Ameren at 800-755-5000 for Illinois or 800-552-7583 for Missouri. Stay far away from the line and keep kids and pets back. A downed line can be deadly even if it looks harmless or the power appears to be off.
During widespread storm outages, phone lines get busy, and restoration takes time. Reporting your outage still helps crews find and prioritize the problem.
Protect Your Appliances and Electronics
Unplug or switch off sensitive electronics and large appliances while you wait. When power returns, the surge that comes with it can damage anything still plugged in.
- Leave one lamp or overhead light switched on, so you know the moment power is restored.
- Turn off anything that was running when the power died, like a stove, iron or space heater, so it doesn't restart unattended.
If outages like this happen more than once or twice a year in your neighborhood, it might be worth asking an electrician about whole-home surge protection, a panel upgrade or smart panel load balancing, especially in older homes where aging wiring can't always keep up.
Keep Your Food Safe
Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
- Refrigerated food is generally safe for up to four hours without power.
- A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours; a half-full freezer, about 24.
- Use ice or a cooler to keep food below 40 degrees Fahrenheit if the outage runs longer than that.
When in doubt, throw it out. For more tips, see FoodSafety.gov
Stay Safe and Comfortable
Use flashlights and battery or crank lanterns instead of candles, which are a fire risk.
Never use a gas stove, oven or outdoor grill to heat your home. They release carbon monoxide, and a working carbon monoxide detector is the only reliable way to catch it before it becomes dangerous.
Gather in the most comfortable room in the house, dress for the weather, stay hydrated, and check in on infants, older adults and anyone with medical needs.
Conserve your phone battery and keep a battery or hand-crank radio on hand for updates. In the St. Louis area, winter ice storms and summer thunderstorms cause most local outages, so it pays to have a plan for either season.
Generator Safety and the Right Way to Add Backup Power
If you're running a portable generator, keep it outdoors only, far from windows and doors. Carbon monoxide from a generator running indoors or in a garage can be fatal within minutes.
Never plug a portable generator into a wall outlet to power your house. This backfeeds electricity into the grid, and it's dangerous for your family and for the line workers repairing your street. Connect devices directly to the generator instead, let it cool before refueling, keep it dry, and don't exceed its rated load.
The safe, code-compliant way to add backup power to your home is a standby generator with a professionally installed transfer switch. It starts automatically within seconds of an outage, whether you're home or not, and it's sized for your home's actual load instead of a handful of extension cords. Brda installs whole-home standby generators throughout St. Louis and Southern Illinois, and we handle the permitting and inspection that a service like this requires.
If the Outage Is Actually an Electrical Problem, Call Brda Electric
A few signs point to your home rather than the grid: only part of the house lost power, a breaker keeps tripping, or you notice a burning smell, buzzing or a hot panel.
Those are wiring or service issues Ameren can't fix, since the problem sits on your side of the meter. This is the moment to call a licensed electrician instead of the utility.
Brda Electric offers 24/7 emergency electrical service across St. Louis and Southern Illinois. Call us at 636-343-0504 anytime you notice signs like these, but stick to make-safe steps only until help arrives. Skip any DIY wiring.
When the Power Comes Back
- Turn your appliances and electronics back on gradually instead of all at once, to avoid tripping breakers with the combined load.
- Check your refrigerator and freezer, and toss anything that sat too long without power.
- Reset your clocks, GFCI outlets, and any breakers that tripped during the outage.
- If anything smells hot, sparks or won't power on normally, call an electrician before you use it again.
Be Ready Before the Next Outage
Build a kit with flashlights, extra batteries, a hand-crank radio, water, non-perishable food, phone chargers or power banks, first-aid supplies, and blankets, which is along the lines of what FEMA recommends for any power outage.
Keep a paper list of emergency contacts, and keep your car's gas tank at least half full, since pumps fail during outages too.
If you or someone in your home depends on power-dependent medical equipment, register with Ameren's medical or critical-care program, so you're prioritized during restoration.
Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors while the power is on, since a dead battery is the last thing you want to discover during a storm. Consider a standby generator and whole-home surge protection, and have older wiring checked before storm season with a home electrical safety inspection.
Stay Powered and Protected with Brda Electric
Brda Electric is a family-owned company that has served St. Louis and Southern Illinois for more than 35 years. Our licensed electricians install standby generators, upgrade panels, and add surge protection, so the next outage is more of an inconvenience than an emergency.
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FAQs
How do I know if a power outage is my problem or the utility's?
Check your panel first. A tripped breaker that resets and holds means it was local. If it trips again immediately, or only part of your home loses power while the street outside stays lit, the issue is on your side of the meter, and it's time to call an electrician rather than the utility.
How long will food last in the fridge during an outage?
Refrigerated food stays safe for up to four hours as long as the door stays closed. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, and a half-full freezer for about 24. When in doubt, throw it out.
Can I plug a generator into an outlet to power my house?
No. Plugging a portable generator into a wall outlet backfeeds electricity into the grid, which is dangerous for your household and for utility workers. Use a standby generator with a professionally installed transfer switch instead, or run a portable unit outdoors and connect devices directly to it.
Who do I call for a power outage in St. Louis or Southern Illinois?
Report grid-wide outages to Ameren. If the problem is isolated to your home, such as a breaker that keeps tripping or a burning smell near your panel, call Brda Electric's 24/7 emergency line.
How long do power outages typically last?
Most everyday outages are resolved within a couple of hours. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, interruptions tied to major storms averaged closer to nine hours nationally in 2024, while routine, non-storm interruptions average around two hours a year. Severe weather, downed lines, and widespread damage are what stretch an outage from an inconvenience into an overnight event.
Will my garage door still open during a power outage?
Yes. Nearly every garage door opener has a manual release cord or lever, usually a red handle hanging from the trolley rail, that disconnects the door from the motor so you can lift it by hand. Just be sure you can reach it safely in the dark, and reconnect the opener once power returns so it doesn't try to run the door on its own.
Can I run my sump pump during a power outage?
Not without backup power. A standard sump pump stops working the moment the outage hits, which is a real risk for basements during heavy spring rain. Homeowners who want to keep a sump pump running typically add it as one of the circuits covered by a standby generator, or install a battery backup sump pump system as a lower-cost alternative.
Will my home security system or cameras still work during an outage?
It depends on the system. Many modern security cameras and video doorbells include a battery backup that keeps them running for a few hours, but coverage time varies by device, and your Wi-Fi router needs its own backup power to keep footage uploading. Check your system's specs, or ask your installer, to find out how long yours holds up.
How much does a whole-home generator installation cost?
Cost depends on the generator's size and power output, your home's electrical system and energy needs, how accessible the installation site is, and local permitting requirements. Because every home is different, Brda Electric provides a personalized estimate after evaluating your specific setup rather than a flat rate.