Power out at home: is it just you or the whole street?

Two quick checks tell you where the problem is.

The answer in 2 lines. Look at your breaker panel first: if a breaker has flipped to the middle or OFF position, the problem is inside your home. If every breaker looks normal and the neighbors or streetlights are dark too, it's the grid: report it to your electric utility online, by app or by phone, and check its outage map. Unplug sensitive electronics, keep the fridge and freezer closed, and never use a generator, grill or camp stove indoors. Stay far from any downed power line and call 911.

The first 3 steps

Check the breaker panel without opening anything: is one breaker in the middle or OFF position?
Look outside: are neighbors, the hallway or streetlights dark too? Then it's probably the grid. Report it to your utility.
Unplug sensitive electronics (TV, computer, router) to protect them from a surge when power comes back. Leave one lamp on so you know.

Stop: danger

Burning smell, smoke or crackling at the panel or meter: don't reset anything and don't touch it. Smoke or flames: get out and call 911.
Downed power line: always assume it's live. Stay far away (ESFI advises at least 35 feet), keep others away, and call 911 and your utility.
Generator, grill, camp stove: never inside your home, garage or basement, even with the door open. Carbon monoxide can kill.

Your home or the grid?

One breaker tripped: something on that circuit (an appliance, an overload, a fault). Reset once; if it trips again, see our guide on breakers.
Everything looks normal, neighbors are dark: grid outage. Report it and wait.
Everything looks normal, only you are dark: report it to your utility; the problem may be on the line or meter serving your home.
Lights dim or flicker oddly: report it to your utility and unplug electronics.

What not to do

Opening the electric meter or the outside service box: they belong to the utility.
Leaving everything plugged in: a surge when power returns can damage electronics.
Opening the freezer every hour to check: each opening lets the cold out.
Using candles near curtains or leaving them unattended: use flashlights.

In your city

New York City: most homes are served by Con Edison; report outages on its website or app, or by phone.
Chicago: ComEd runs the power lines; report outages on its website or app, or by phone.
Los Angeles: LADWP customers can report outages online or by phone and follow its outage map (LADWP).
Houston: CenterPoint Energy runs the power lines; check and report outages on its website (your retail electricity provider's bill also lists the outage number).

Elsewhere, your utility's outage number is on your bill.

Good to know

If someone at home relies on powered medical equipment, have a backup plan and tell your utility ahead of time: many keep a list of these customers.
In hot weather, a power outage can be dangerous: go to a cooler place if your home gets too hot.
Keep a flashlight, spare batteries and a charged power bank where you can find them in the dark.

On a stormy evening in Chicago, the lights go out at Sam's place. His breakers haven't moved and the whole block is dark, so he reports the outage in the ComEd app, unplugs the TV and router, and leaves the freezer closed until power comes back three hours later.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on October 18, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for the safety steps and the home-or-grid checks; medium for utility contacts, which can change: your bill has the current outage number. This guide describes common cases, not a diagnosis.