What "Electric Out" means
Electric out means the power supply to your home or building has stopped. No electricity is flowing to your outlets, lights, or appliances. The cause could be something you control — like a tripped breaker or blown fuse — or something outside your home, like a downed power line or a problem at the utility company's equipment.
The first step is always to figure out whether the problem is inside your house or outside it. If only your home has no power while your neighbors' lights are on, the issue is yours to fix. If the whole block is dark, the utility company caused it and you need to wait or call them.
Key Takeaways
- Check whether your neighbors have power — if they do, your problem is inside your home and you should look at your breaker panel or outlets.
- A tripped circuit breaker is the most common cause of power loss in a single room or the whole house, and you can reset it yourself.
- If the whole neighborhood is out, call your utility company's outage line — they already know about it and can tell you when power will return.
- Storms, accidents that damage power lines, and equipment failures at the utility are the main reasons for widespread outages you cannot fix yourself.
Check if it is just your home or the whole area
Walk outside or look out a window. Are your neighbors' porch lights on? Is a streetlight working? If yes, your power problem is inside your home. If the whole block is dark, the outage is upstream — at the utility company's equipment or on the power lines themselves.
This one check saves you time. If your neighbors have power, you do not need to call the utility. If they do not, calling them is the only useful step because you cannot fix lines or transformers yourself.
How to reset a tripped breaker
Go to your breaker panel — usually a gray or metal box in a basement, garage, or utility closet. Open the door. Look for a switch that is in the middle position or flipped the opposite direction from the others. That is your tripped breaker.
Flip it all the way to the off position, then flip it back to on. Power should return to that circuit. If the breaker trips again when ready when you turn something on, that circuit has a problem — unplug whatever you just plugged in and call an electrician. Do not keep resetting it.
If you cannot find a tripped breaker and the whole house is out, check whether you have a main breaker at the top of the panel. Some homes have a separate shutoff switch. Make sure it is in the on position.
When a blown fuse is the problem
Older homes use fuses instead of breakers. A blown fuse looks like a small cylinder with a metal cap, usually screwed into a panel. The metal inside will be blackened or broken if it has blown.
Unscrew the blown fuse and screw in a new one of the same amperage — the number is printed on the fuse itself. Buy replacements at any hardware store. If a fuse blows again right away, that circuit is overloaded or damaged, and you should call an electrician.
What causes outages in your whole neighborhood
Storms knock down power lines or damage equipment. A car or tree can hit a utility pole. Equipment at the substation or transformer can fail. A utility company doing maintenance can shut off power to a whole area on purpose. Accidents at industrial sites sometimes damage the grid.
None of these are things you can fix. Your only option is to call your utility company's outage line — the number is on your bill or on their website. They can tell you whether they know about the outage, what caused it, and when they expect power to return. Many utilities also have outage maps online that update in real time.
What to do while waiting for power to return
If the outage is widespread, stay off the phone unless you need emergency help. Utility companies need their lines clear to coordinate repairs. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed — food stays safe for hours if you do not open them.
If you have a gas stove, you can use it for heat or cooking, but never use a gas oven to heat your home — it creates carbon monoxide. Do not use a generator indoors or in a garage. Generators produce carbon monoxide and must run outside, at least 20 feet from windows and doors.
When to call an electrician instead of the utility
Call an electrician if a breaker trips repeatedly, if a fuse blows repeatedly, if only one outlet or light is out while the rest of your home works, or if you smell burning or see scorch marks around an outlet. These are signs of a wiring problem or overloaded circuit inside your home.
Call the utility company if the whole neighborhood is out, if you see a downed power line, or if power is out at your meter but you have already checked your breaker panel and found nothing wrong. The utility owns everything from the transformer to your meter, so problems there are their responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my breaker keep tripping when I plug in one specific appliance?
That appliance is drawing more power than the circuit can handle, or it has an electrical fault. Stop using it and call an electrician or the appliance manufacturer. Do not keep resetting the breaker — it is protecting you from a fire.
Is it safe to go outside during a power outage?
Yes, unless you see a downed power line. Stay away from any line on the ground or hanging low, and assume it is live even if it is not sparking. Call the utility company to report it. Do not touch it or drive over it.
How long do outages usually last?
It depends on the cause. A tripped breaker you reset takes seconds. A neighborhood outage from a downed line can take hours or days. The utility's outage map or phone line will give you an estimate for your area.
Should I turn off my breaker during an outage?
No. Leave everything as it is. When power comes back, a sudden surge can damage appliances if breakers are off — they will not protect equipment during the surge. Just leave switches in their current position.
What if my power goes out in winter and I have electric heat?
Close off rooms you are not using to keep heat in a smaller space. Wear layers. If you have a gas fireplace or wood stove, use it. If the outage lasts more than a few hours and you cannot stay warm, go to a shelter or a friend's house. Prolonged cold indoors is dangerous.