Power outages

Power outages and emergency situations can happen at any time. Depending on the cause, some can be restored very quickly, while others can last a few hours, or even a few days in the event of a major storm or emergency.

If you find yourself without power, get the latest updates from BC Hydro crews by checking their outages list or following BC Hydro on X (formerly Twitter) @BCHydro.

It's important to always be prepared and understand what to do before and after an outage, as well as in emergency situations involving downed power lines.

https://www.bchydro.com/safety-outages/power-outages/prepare-for-outages.html

https://www.bchydro.com/safety-outages/power-outages/during-an-outage.html

  • DescriIf your power goes out, first check to see if the outage is limited to your home by inspecting your circuit breaker panel or fuse box. If you live in an apartment or condo and are experiencing an outage that's limited to your unit, please report it to your building manager or owner. 

    If there are no tripped breakers and it appears to be part of a larger issue, check our list of current outages or outage map to see if we’re aware of the outage.

    If you don’t see your outage listed, log in to report the outage online through your MyHydro account or by calling us at 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile.ption text goes here

  • If you rent your home and don't have a BC Hydro account number, you can still report an outage over the phone. When you're prompted to share your account number, simply remain on the line and you'll soon be connected to an agent.

  • Follow the below tips to keep you and your family safe during an outage, especially if it's a major storm and an extended power outage.

    Standby and backup generators

    • Only operate a portable generator outdoors and in a location where the exhaust can't enter your home.

    • Don’t plug a portable generator into a standard household electrical outlet.

    Food storage and cooking

    • Keep your freezer and fridge doors closed:

      • A full fridge can keep food cold for about four hours.

      • A full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 48 hours; a half-full freezer will keep food frozen for about 24 hours.

    • Never use a barbeque or camping stove indoors or in an enclosed space.

    • Check the Government of Canada website for information on handling refrigerated and frozen food during an outage. 

    Staying warm and connected

    • Check in on family, friends and neighbours, especially those that are elderly.

    • Check for updates from your local municipality about warming centres or other local information during an extended or overnight outage.

    • If temperatures are low, keep the heat in by avoiding opening doors and windows.

    • Use LED candles to reduce the risk of fire. If you use real candles, ensure they’re in proper candle holders, keep them out of reach of kids and pets, and never leave them unattended.

    • Help your device battery last as long as possible by following these tips:

      • Don’t turn it off – your tablet or phone actually uses more battery being turned off and on so using sleep mode is best.

      • Switch on Airplane mode or manually disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS features and push notifications.

      • Turn the brightness of the display down as low as possible.

      • Close apps or other functions.