A Homeowner’s Guide to Power Outage Planning

Power outages are becoming more common, whether from storms, heat waves, or utility shutoffs. While owning a backup generator or portable power station can help, the real key to making the most of them is having a plan in place before the lights go out. Knowing which appliances and circuits to prioritize, and which to leave off, can make a small generator surprisingly effective.

Step 1: Identify Essential Circuits

Start by thinking about what you truly need to keep running during an outage. For most households, the essentials include:

• Refrigerator and freezer (to protect your food)

• Lights (at least in key living areas and bedrooms)

• Internet equipment (router and modem, often overlooked but important for communication)

• Fans (to stay comfortable and keep air moving)

These loads are usually modest but provide a huge boost in comfort and safety during a blackout.

Step 2: Avoid High-Consumption Appliances

Large appliances like central air conditioning, electric ovens, electric water heaters, or clothes dryers can overwhelm a small generator. Even if your generator could power them briefly, running these loads may drain fuel quickly or force you to sacrifice more important items. It’s better to leave these off your outage plan and stick to the essentials. Anything that makes heat—such as hair dryers, curling irons, coffee makers, waffle irons, air fryers, deep fryers, dishwashers, washing machines, Instant Pots, toasters, microwaves, or even a hot tub—should generally be avoided when running on a small generator. Likewise, anything that requires high current, including power tools, saws, air compressors, vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, garage door openers (unless you use their battery backup feature), stand mixers, or a 120V electric car charger, can quickly overwhelm limited backup power and should be left off your outage plan.

Step 3: Label Your Circuit Panel

A well-labeled circuit panel makes all the difference when the power goes out. If you know which breakers control your critical circuits—like the refrigerator, lights, and internet—you’ll be able to quickly bring them online while leaving high-energy systems switched off. Without good labeling, you risk wasting precious generator power on non-essentials.

Step 4: Make a Circuit “Priority List”

Write down exactly which circuits you want to use during an outage, and keep this list near your panel. That way, you won’t have to think about it in the moment. For example:

Turn ON: Kitchen fridge, living room lights, Wi-Fi router, bedroom outlets.Leave OFF: Dryer, oven, water heater, central A/C.

This step removes guesswork and helps every family member know what to do. Write down breaker numbers that should be "off" during the outage.

Step 5: Keep a Manual and Supplies Handy

When the lights go out, you don’t want to be fumbling with fuel cans or guessing at how to start your generator. Keep your generator’s manual, fuel supply, extension cords, and any adapters all in one place. A simple laminated checklist of start-up and shut-down procedures is a huge help in the stress of an outage—especially if more than one person in your household might need to operate the generator.

Step 6: Plan for Medical and Pet Needs

Every household is different. Some people rely on a CPAP machine or oxygen concentrator. Others may have pets that require special care, such as a reptile with a heat lamp or an aquarium with a circulation pump. Make sure these critical needs are part of your outage plan and accounted for on your priority circuit list.

Step 7: Default Breaker Position: OFF

The safest and most effective mindset during an outage is a minimalist one. Assume that every branch circuit should remain OFF unless you’ve deliberately chosen it for your outage plan. Guessing about circuits is never a good idea—you risk wasting generator power or overloading the system. Only switch on breakers you’ve identified in advance as essentials.

Step 8: Use a Circuit Finder to Identify Breakers

Not sure which breaker controls which outlet? An inexpensive circuit finder tool can save you time and confusion. By mapping your outlets to the correct breakers, you’ll know exactly which circuits are worth powering during an outage. This small bit of preparation pays off big when you’re working under the pressure of a blackout.

Step 9: 120V vs. 240V Generators

Most small generators only provide 120 volts at 15 amps. When connected to a home’s electrical panel, this will only energize one leg of the panel by default. That means only the breakers on that leg will receive power, while the other half of your panel will remain off.

There are a couple of ways around this:

• Use a 240V generator: Many mid-size portable generators produce 240V, which naturally feeds both legs of your panel when connected through a transfer switch or interlock.

• Bridge both legs with a 120V generator cord: A qualified electrician can supply or configure a generator inlet cord that safely ties the 120V output across both legs of your panel. This won’t double your power capacity—it just distributes the available 120V evenly, so you aren’t limited to circuits on one side of the panel.

This detail is important to understand when planning which circuits to use. If you only have a 120V generator, bridging the legs may be the simplest way to ensure your essential loads are available no matter which breakers they’re on.

Step 10: Right-Size Your Generator Setup

The good news is that if you’re careful, even a small 15-amp generator can keep your essentials running. A generator inlet paired with a manual interlock or transfer switch makes it easy (and safe) to feed power into your home’s panel. With the right plan in place, this simple setup can get you through extended outages with surprising ease.

Final Thoughts

The time to make a power outage plan isn’t when the power goes out—it’s now. By labeling your panel, writing down a circuit priority list, preparing for medical or pet needs, and understanding how your generator feeds the panel, you’ll be ready to use your backup power effectively. With a modest generator and some careful planning, your home can stay safe, connected, and comfortable, even when the grid goes dark.