Power cut

During a power cut, it may not take long until you r water is cut off. This makes it important to reserve water in advance. Shops will quickly run out of bottled water, and shops will also close their doors soon due to a power failure.

• You need about 2 litres of drinking water for each day. You need this amount of water for each family member for at least three days.
• Other beverages that can be kept at room temperature will also help you keep your thirst at bay.
• Make sure you also reserve water for pets and personal hygiene or prepare with other hygiene supplies.

If you have your own well, check its condition and water quality regularly. Check whether the well operates with a mechanism other than an electrically operated pump.

• Make sure you have food at home for at least three days.
• Reserve ready-to-eat food that can be stored at room temperature.
• Also reserve water for cooking.
• Think about whether you have appliances that allow you to prepare food without electricity: a wood-burning stove, a fireplace, a barbecue, a camp stove or a possibility to make an open fire. Make sure you have the necessary firewood, coal or fuel as well as ignition fluids and lighters. Exercise caution whenever storing and using the supplies and making open fires.

Check out the list of tips on foods that are suitable as home emergency supplies at the Martha Association’s website.Opens in a new window.

See the Finnish National Rescue Association’s Finnish speaking YouTube video on the cold storage of food during a power cut. Opens in a new window.

In the event of a prolonged power cut, the telecommunications and mobile networks will cease to function. You cannot call or send messages on your phone.

• Get a radio operating on batteries or otherwise without mains power.
• Agree where you will meet with your loved ones if you cannot get in touch with each other due to the interruption, as the Internet and the mobile network may stop operating within a few hours of the start of the power cut.
• Get a backup power supply for your most important devices and keep it charged.
• Cars often have both a radio and can be used to charge devices.

Enable notification services, such as SMS notifications, provided by your region’s electricity company. The authorities provide information about any disruptions on the radio if other means of communication are unavailable.

Light up your home

Be prepared to replace electric lighting with other light sources. Poor lighting increases the risk of accidents.

Get

• a flashlight or a headlamp
• candles, lighters or matches.

When lighting candles, pay attention to fire safety.

Keeping warm

Think about how you would keep warm at home.

• Get a sleeping bag or warm blankets.
• If your home has an alternative non-electric heat source, keep it ready to use.

In cold temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius in winter, the indoor temperature of the dwelling will drop below 10 degrees Celsius from just over one day to four days depending on the building.

Prepare for restrictions on water use

Water use is restricted during a power cut. The water may be cut off as soon as the power cut begins or if the power cut is prolonged. There may be only cold water coming from the tap or water pressure may drop.

When the outage is prolonged, the pumping and treatment of wastewater is interrupted. You must not pour water down the drain or flush the toilet in the areas where wastewater goes to a plant. Otherwise, there is a risk of the sewers flooding.

Check the instructions of the local waste management service on how to handle toilet waste in the event of a long power cut. Instructions may vary by region.

Prepare to move around by walking or riding a bicycle.

• Traffic may become congested when the traffic lights are turned off.
• Public transport does not operate normally and will eventually stop entirely.
• You can drive your car for as long as there is enough fuel or power. Keep the tank relatively full. Reserve a small amount of fuel if it is safe to store it.

Make sure you have enough cash at home for a few days’ necessary purchases.

Card payments will stop working soon after the power failure has begun. Cash cannot be withdrawn from ATMs.

Shops, restaurants and other services, such as banks, will also close fairly soon. Some pharmacies and larger shops may be open for longer.

There is no need to call the electricity company about the power cut.

The operation of the electricity network is monitored 24 hours a day. If you see a damaged power line, report the location of the damage to the emergency response centre. Do not attempt to clear the damaged area yourself, as this may result in serious electric shock.

Switch off any electrical appliances. This makes sure the appliances will not pose a fire risk when they turn on again. Turn off appliances such as the stove, microwave, coffee maker, washing machine, etc. Also switch off any electric heaters.

Leave the light on. Once the lamp turns on, you will know that the electricity is back on.

Find out how much food and drinking water you have at home. Think about how long you and others in your home will be able to cope with these home emergency supplies.

• If there is water coming from the tap, collect it into a clean container.
• Use the most perishable fresh products in your refrigerator first. Frozen items may remain cool for several days as long as you only open the freezer when necessary.
• Prepare food if possible. Think about what non-electric equipment you can use to prepare food.
• If the disruption is prolonged and temporary water supply points are arranged for residents, you can collect water in a clean container with a lid. The local water utility or authorities provide instructions on how to retrieve water.

The water may be cut off as soon as the power cut begins or if the power cut is prolonged. There may be only cold water coming from the tap or water pressure may drop.

• Do not flush the toilet or pour water down the drain. Otherwise, there is a risk of the sewers flooding, as treatment plants in the sewer network will be unable to pump and process waste water. If you are using the toilet, only flush it after the electricity is restored.
• Think about whether there is a dry toilet nearby. If permitted by your living environment (e.g. a sparsely populated area or forest), you can relieve yourself outdoors.
• You can also use a lidded bucket and either pour the waste into the toilet once the power is restored or take it to a sewage disposal site.
• If there is no other option, set a plastic bag into a bucket or the toilet bowl and put in some paper or sawdust to absorb liquid matter. Dispose of the waste according to the instructions of your local waste management service.

Read more: How should I prepare for water outages and disruptions in water supply?

If you heat your home with electricity or district heating, the temperature of your home will begin to drop. If your home has an alternative non-electric heat source, use it for heating.

• Select the room in your dwelling that stays warm for the longest: the central part of your building is often warmer. Gather all residents of your home into the same space and spend time in the room with the door closed.
• Cover the windows with blinds and curtains or other coverings.
• Make sure you stay warm with clothes and blankets.
• If necessary, leave your home for a warmer place. You can also go to your car to warm yourself.

Once the power cut has ended:

• You can turn the electrical appliances in your home back on.
• Check which appliances are running to make sure that no electrical appliances that pose a fire hazard are switched on.
• You can use tap water and the toilet again. It is a good idea to let the water run for a while before using it.

Do not turn on or plug in all the electrical appliances at once. This overloads the power grid and may cause a new power cut.

If you suspect that you will find it difficult to follow instructions in the event of a power cut, you should consider how you could improve your preparedness level. For advice, see the preparedness instructions in this guide.