What to turn off before restoring power after an outage

When the lights snap back on after an outage, what you do in the next few minutes can decide whether your home comes back smoothly or with fried electronics and tripped breakers. Restoring power safely is less about luck and more about knowing which switches, appliances, and circuits to shut down before electricity flows again. By planning your shutdown steps in advance, you protect your equipment, reduce fire risk, and even help utility crews bring your neighborhood online faster.

The core idea is simple: you want your home to look like a light load when power returns, then bring devices back in a controlled order. That means turning off or unplugging the right things during the outage, managing your breaker panel carefully, and only then restoring normal use. The sections that follow walk through that sequence in practical detail so you know exactly what to turn off, and when, before power comes back.

Why shutting things off before power returns matters

Power rarely comes back in a perfectly smooth line. When service is restored, voltage can spike or sag for a few moments, and sensitive devices are often the first casualties. Guidance on Modern electrical equipment notes that today’s electronics are more delicate than older models and can be easily damaged by sudden voltage spikes. When you leave everything on during an outage, every light, motor, and circuit board is waiting to take that hit the instant power flickers back.

There is also a system wide effect. When a whole street of homes tries to restart ovens, HVAC systems, water heaters, and computers at the same second, the combined surge can overload local circuits and cause new interruptions. That is why utility and safety agencies advise you to unplug or switch off appliances during an Short power failure and then bring them back gradually. Treating your home like a controlled restart, rather than a sudden jolt, protects your gear and supports a more stable grid recovery.

First move: kill the biggest power hogs

Your first priority once you realize the outage is not just a tripped breaker is to shut down the largest loads in your home. Reporting on what to shut off first stresses that your initial move should be to cut power to the biggest “power hogs,” such as electric ranges, central air conditioners, electric dryers, and tank style water heaters, because they draw intense current when they start. As one guide explains, With the big loads and motors off, your home sends a much gentler signal when power is restored.

These heavy appliances often sit on dedicated circuits because each one has its own motor and can place a major strain on your wiring. Electrical specialists point out that Yet each appliance of this type draws far more power than smaller devices ever will, which is exactly why you do not want them all trying to restart at once. Turning these circuits off at the breaker or switching the appliances off at their controls before power comes back sharply reduces the risk of tripping your main panel or overheating wiring when the grid re energizes.

What to turn off inside the house during an outage

Once the big loads are handled, your next step is to quiet the rest of the house. Emergency guidance for During a power outage advises you to turn off lights and electrical appliances, with the exception of the refrigerator and freezer, so they do not all come back at once. The same guidance notes that you should still flip light switches off even if it is dark, because leaving them on can create a sudden surge when electricity returns. That simple habit keeps your home from lighting up like a stadium the moment the grid recovers.

Electronics deserve special attention. Consumer advocates recommend Protecting Electronics by unplugging televisions, computers, game consoles, and similar devices so they are not exposed to unstable voltage when service is restored. Safety campaigns echo that advice, urging you to unplug appliances with electronic components to shield them from fluctuations in the power supplier’s electrical system and to avoid damage to your own wiring. Following that guidance from Unplug through to the final step means your most expensive devices are not acting as test equipment for the returning grid.

Managing your breaker panel before power comes back

Your breaker panel is the steering wheel for how your home reenters the grid, and you should use it deliberately. Utilities that walk customers through How to reset breakers emphasize finding the panel, identifying the main breaker, and then working methodically rather than flipping switches at random. When you know an outage is underway, turning individual high load breakers off, such as those labeled for “range,” “AC,” or “dryer,” gives you control over what will try to start when power returns.

When it is time to bring power back inside, you want to reverse that process in a controlled way. One utility guide on Reset Your Breakers explains that you should reset the main breaker only after individual circuits are in the correct position, then restore branch circuits one at a time. That staged approach helps you spot any problem circuit quickly and prevents a single fault from repeatedly knocking out your entire home. It also aligns with advice from outage preparedness programs that encourage you to avoid overloading circuits at the time when power is restored.

High powered appliances that should stay off until last

Some appliances are so power hungry that they belong at the very end of your restart list. Heating and cooling systems are a prime example, which is why home protection checklists advise you to Turn off your HVAC system during an outage and leave it off until the rest of the house is stable. The same guidance notes that once you have addressed immediate safety concerns, your next priority is to protect major systems and appliances from damage, and that includes delaying the restart of central heating and cooling until you are sure voltage has settled.

Other high draw devices deserve similar caution. Backup power specialists advise that you Also take a moment to turn off or unplug high powered appliances that may have been running, like your oven or space heaters, because leaving them on can overload circuits or your system when electricity returns. That recommendation dovetails with broader outage planning that tells you to During an Outage unplug electric appliances to avoid overloading circuits and fire hazards at the time when power is restored. In practice, that means ovens, electric fireplaces, portable heaters, and large window AC units should be the last things you switch back on.

Protecting electronics and “smart” devices from surges

Modern homes are full of sensitive electronics that do not tolerate rough power. Energy preparedness guides suggest that when the power goes out, you should go around your home and unplug all electronic devices, small and large, and only plug them back in after the lights have been steady for a while. One such guide notes that As soon as the power goes out, that unplugging step is one of the best ways to protect your devices from unstable current when electricity returns. It is a simple checklist item that can save you from replacing a television or router after every storm.

Even with careful unplugging, it is worth adding another layer of defense. Technical guidance on surge protection explains that in today’s homes, offices, factories, and digital infrastructures, electrical equipment is more sensitive than ever and can be easily damaged by sudden voltage spikes, which is why In today’s systems surge protective devices are widely recommended. Consumer advocates similarly advise Protecting Electronics by using surge strips and unplugging them during outages so that when service is restored, your most valuable equipment is not directly exposed to any irregularities in the grid.

Coordinating with utilities and safety officials

Turning things off inside your home is only part of the safety picture. Outage tip sheets stress that you should Stay away from any downed lines and report the outage to your electric company so they can log your location and update you when service is restored. That early call helps utilities map the extent of the problem and prioritize repairs, while you focus on making your home safe for the eventual return of power. Safety campaigns also remind you to Check whether your neighbors still have electricity, since that can indicate whether the issue is in your home’s system or on the wider grid.

Public health and emergency offices add practical household guidance that fits alongside your electrical checklist. State health officials advise that Turn off lights and electrical appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer, and Even if it is dark, you should still flip switches off so they do not all come back at once. Local emergency managers echo that message, urging residents to Make sure appliances are turned OFF even when the power is out so they do not start unexpectedly when electricity returns. That coordination between your own actions and official advice keeps both your household and line crews safer.

How to bring power back in stages once the grid is live

When the utility confirms that power is returning to your area, you should resist the urge to flip everything on at once. Outage preparedness guides suggest that it is a good idea to switch off all electrical appliances and then only turn them back on one by one once the power is back, which is why one national grid operator notes that It’s a good idea to keep everything off until you are sure the supply is stable. That staged restart lets you test each circuit and appliance, rather than discovering a problem only after the whole house is humming.

Utilities and energy providers also recommend using your breaker panel as part of that staged approach. One guide on what to do when the power goes out advises you to Turn off or unplug your appliances first, then reset the breakers of your electrical system in an orderly way. Another utility suggests that you Reset circuit breakers and keep microwaves, televisions, computers, and other electronics unplugged until after power is restored to avoid surges. Following that sequence, you first stabilize your panel, then gradually reintroduce lights, outlets, and finally the heavy appliances you shut down earlier.

Planning ahead so shutdown is automatic, not improvised

The best time to decide what you will turn off is before the next storm or grid failure, not in the dark with a flashlight. Preparedness checklists encourage you to map out your home’s “energy hogs” in advance, identifying which appliances and systems consume the most power so you know which ones to prioritize during an outage. One energy strategy guide advises you to Identify energy hogs and Look for appliances and systems that might need backup solutions during an outage. That same planning tells you exactly which breakers to flip and which plugs to pull the moment the lights go out.

It also helps to rehearse your steps mentally or on paper. Outage tip lists suggest keeping torches and batteries handy and note that Here are simple ways to prepare, including making sure you keep some torches where you can find them easily. Emergency electricians also remind you that Power outages can change your daily life, and they recommend you Start by unplugging electronics to protect them from surges. If you build those steps into a household plan, everyone in your home knows what to shut off and in what order, so your response is calm and automatic instead of improvised.

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*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.