Outage Readiness and Safety

While we do our best to prevent them, power and gas outages can happen. Make sure you’re prepared.

Customers with Special Needs

We know some customers have special needs due to age, disability, serious illness, or medical equipment that uses electricity. Making repairs safely and efficiently can take time. It’s important to have a backup plan in case of an extended power outage. Learn more about our restoration process.

Preparing Your Home

Whether it’s a planned or unexpected electrical outage, you can take steps ahead of time to keep you and your family safe.

Appliances and Electronics

Have the following set aside:

Flashlights, not candles, since candles can start a fire
Fresh batteries
Battery-operated radio
Corded telephone
Fully charged cellphone and car charger

Leave a light on so you know when service is restored.
Plug all appliances and electronics into surge protectors. This will prolong their life and prevent fires during a power surge.

Generators

Make sure to use generators safely to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

Never use them inside your home or an attached garage.
Only have them installed outside, in well-ventilated, dry areas, at least 20 feet from your house. They should also point away from your home’s air intakes.

Food and Water

Set aside shelf-stable food, including pet food.
Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings ahead of an outage.
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Food can be kept up to 4 hours in the refrigerator and up to 36 hours in the freezer.
When it comes to eating perishable foods, when in doubt, throw it out.
Have one gallon of bottled water per person for each day without power. If you use well water, also fill a bathtub with water to manually flush toilets.
See the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidance.

Health

Have refills of important prescriptions on hand.
Stock up on first aid supplies.
Make sure to have a backup plan to keep refrigerated medications cold. Throw the medications out if an outage lasts more than 24 hours.
Fully charge any medical equipment. Have a backup plan for longer outages.

Additional Tips

Keep a list of emergency phone numbers, including BGE’s outage line (1-877-778-2222).
Have cash on hand, in case ATMs aren’t working.
Set aside blankets for outages during colder weather.
Fill up your car’s gas tank or fully charge your electric vehicle.

Storms

Safety Tips

Don't use a gas range for emergency heat. It could build up deadly carbon monoxide fumes.
Turn off or unplug electronics and appliances that aren’t connected to surge protectors.
If you have a generator that is connected to your electrical system, turn off the main circuit breaker. This keeps our crews safe during restoration.
Stay away from fallen or low-hanging wires or anything they touch. Call BGE at 1-877-778-2222 or 1-800-685-0123 to report wire emergencies.
If wires fall on your vehicle, do not touch the wires or the vehicle.
When cleaning up after severe weather, always call Miss Utility at 811 before you dig.
After floods and storms, always keep electrical safety in mind:

Make sure that the electrical system is shut off before entering a flooded room. Don't shut off the system if you have to stand in water or on a wet floor to do so.
Don't enter a room with standing water if your electrical system is not shut off. This is particularly important if water covers outlets, or cords or appliances that are plugged into outlets.
Have a licensed electrician do a full inspection before turning on lights or appliances affected by a flood.

Snow and Ice Safety

During a storm, keep key equipment clear ice and snow using a broom or brush. This includes:

Ventilation pipes for direct-vent furnaces and water heaters
Electric heat pump units
Dryer vents
Outdoor meters and attached equipment

Travel Considerations

Roads may be damaged or blocked. Road signs may be down.
Travel times may be longer due to detours and additional traffic.
Traffic lights and walking signals may not be working properly or at all.
Public transportation may not be operating. This includes public and private wheelchair transport services or para-transits. Routes and schedules may be changed.