Free: The Tucson Power Outage Checklist. 10 things to have ready before the next outage.
The Tucson Power Outage Checklist
A few minutes of prep now makes the next outage easier. Work through this list on a calm day, not during a storm.
The checklist
Know how to open your garage door by hand.
An electric garage door opener does not work when the power is out.
If the garage is how you usually get in, keep a house key where you can reach it.
Keep a cooler and frozen water jugs ready.
Frozen jugs of water help keep a freezer or cooler cold.
Know where your main breaker is.
Find your electrical panel and main breaker in daylight, and show others in your home where it is. Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries nearby so you can find it in the dark.
Protect electronics with surge protection.
Plug TVs, computers and other sensitive electronics into surge protectors, and unplug what you can during an outage.
Keep phones charged, plus a battery bank.
Charge phones when storms are in the forecast. Keep a charged battery bank and a car charger where you can find them.
Sign up for TEP outage alerts.
Make sure your TEP account has your current phone number and email, and check your account for outage alert settings.
Plan how you will keep cool.
Pick the coolest room in your home and keep the blinds closed on sunny windows.
If you are thinking about backup power.
Decide what you would want running first: a few essentials, or the whole house.
When the power goes out, central AC stops too, unless a backup system is sized to run it.
How long a battery lasts depends on its size and what you run on it.
In an emergency, call 911.
Sources: Ready.gov, FoodSafety.gov, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Tucson Electric Power, Pima County.
Print the checklist
Prints the checklist on one US Letter page. No form, email or phone number required.
Questions
Start with the items that are hard to do in the dark.
Find your electrical panel and main breaker in daylight, and show others in your home where it is.
Only if it is sized for it.
When the power goes out, central AC stops too, unless a backup system is sized to run it.
How long a battery lasts depends on its size and what you run on it.
Yes. You can read it here or print it without filling out a form.