Winter Power Outage Checklist for Canadian Homes

A summer outage is an inconvenience. A winter outage in Canada is a countdown: the house cools, pipes are at risk, and the food in the fridge has a few hours. Here’s a practical checklist — before, during and after — so you’re not working it out by flashlight.

Before winter: get ready (do this now)

Build a 72-hour kit. Canadian utilities recommend being self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. BC Hydro’s list includes:

• Water — 2 litres per person per day
• A three-day supply of non-perishable, ready-to-eat food (and a manual can opener)
• Flashlights or headlamps and spare batteries
• Warm clothing, hats and blankets for everyone
• A battery or crank radio
• Medications and copies of prescriptions

Plan for power.

• Decide what you need to run: the furnace blower, the fridge, a sump pump, medical devices, a phone charger. Add up how long you’d need them.
• Estimate what a power station could handle with the winter runtime calculator.
• If you rely on powered medical equipment, plan a backup power supply for it specifically.
• If you want the furnace on backup power, have a licensed electrician install a transfer switch or inlet before winter — not during the outage.

Protect against carbon monoxide.

• Test your CO alarms and replace batteries. Have one on every level and near bedrooms.

Know your furnace.

• Find the blower motor rating on the furnace’s nameplate sticker so you can size backup power properly. Here’s how.

During the outage

First 15 minutes

• Check whether it’s just your home (breaker) or the whole street, and report it to your utility.
• Unplug sensitive electronics and appliances so a surge doesn’t damage them when power returns. Leave one lamp switched on so you’ll know when it’s back.
• Start your backup power for the essentials: furnace blower first if it’s connected, then the fridge.

Keep the food safe

• Keep the fridge and freezer doors closed. Health Canada says an unopened fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours, a full freezer about 48 hours, and a half-full freezer about 24 hours.
• If you have a power station, you don’t have to run the fridge nonstop — run it in stretches. Here’s how long a power station runs a fridge.

Keep warm

• Close off rooms you’re not using and gather in one room, ideally on the sunny side of the house.
• Close curtains at night and open south-facing ones during the day.
• Dress in layers — including hats — and use blankets.
• Never use a barbecue, camp stove, patio heater or gas oven to heat the house.

Carbon monoxide rules (non-negotiable)

• Health Canada: never run a fuel-burning generator indoors, in a garage or in a shed — even with the door open.
• Keep it at least 6 metres (20 feet) from the house, exhaust pointed away from windows and doors.
• If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside immediately and call 911.

Protect the pipes

• Keep as much heat in the house as possible for as long as possible.
• If the outage is long and you have to leave, CAA-Quebec advises: close the main water valve, drain the taps, and pour non-toxic antifreeze into toilets and drains.

Look after your backup power

• Keep your power station indoors in a heated room. Most lithium batteries won’t charge below 0°C and deliver less energy when cold. See the cold-weather limits for popular models.
• Recharge it whenever you can — if power flickers back, or from a generator running safely outside.

After the power comes back

• Wait a few minutes, then plug appliances back in one at a time to avoid overloading circuits.
• Check fridge and freezer temperatures. When in doubt, throw it out — Health Canada’s emergency food safety page explains what to keep and what to discard.
• Check for frozen or burst pipes before turning the water back on fully.
• Recharge your power station and restock anything you used from your kit.

Should you add backup power?

If outages where you live last hours, a portable power station is the safest, simplest way to keep the fridge, lights and furnace fan going — see power station vs generator to decide, then our picks for the best power stations for a winter outage.