B.C. Hydro is cutting power to thousands. Here's how to prepare your phones, fridge and more

Andrew Kurjata · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 29, 2025 11:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Get acceptable to walk the nighttime successful the dark — with nary energy disposable to bring the light.

That's the connection coming from B.C. Hydro to thousands of customers being affected by overnight powerfulness outages scheduled astir the state successful the days and weeks ahead.

The largest is successful Prince George, wherever astir 15,000 customers person been warned they volition beryllium without powerfulness starting astatine 7 p.m. Sunday night, with restoration scheduled for 5 a.m.Monday morning. But akin overnight oregon semipermanent outages are besides planned, oregon person already taken place, successful Port Alberni, Bella Coola and portions of the Lower Mainland.

And with outages related to utmost upwind becoming much frequent, officials accidental a planned outage is simply a bully clip to marque definite you person everything connected manus to beryllium acceptable successful the lawsuit of an emergency.

Why are the outages happening?

These planned outages hap regularly, B.C. Hydro spokesperson Mike Kellett said, but the size and standard of the outage successful Prince George, successful particular, has caught people's attention, arsenic a ample information of the metropolis is being told to hole for 10 hours without immoderate electricity.

"It's a reasonably important cognition arsenic these things go," helium said. "We person immoderate section electrical infrastructure that is fundamentally astatine the extremity of its beingness and astatine beauteous important hazard of failing, which would, if it happened randomly, would effect successful rather a agelong and extended outage for customers."

Since the outage is taking spot already, helium said, Hydro crews volition besides beryllium taking connected immoderate different regular maintenance. specified arsenic powerfulness rod replacement, astatine the aforesaid time.

Instead, helium said, crews are preparing present to hole and regenerate the instrumentality truthful it tin beryllium done arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, and Sunday nighttime has been selected due to the fact that it tends to person the lowest powerfulness usage overall.

"We'll person crews moving arsenic accelerated arsenic they safely tin to reconstruct power," helium said.

B.C. Hydro averages astir 7,000 planned outages a year, but generally, they are smaller and little lengthy, truthful putting 15,000 radical successful the acheronian for up to 10 hours "is truly conscionable indicative of however critical" this weekend's cognition is, Kellett said.

"We recognize that there's ne'er a bully clip for an outage," helium said. "But for immoderate outage we undertake, it's perfectly critical."

How to hole for an outage

B.C. Hydro has been contacting affected customers, urging them to unplug oregon support immoderate delicate equipment.

Kellett besides suggested they complaint phones and artillery packs, marque definite they person moving flashlights oregon headlamps and support lukewarm blankets connected manus arsenic temperatures are acceptable to dip beneath freezing overnight.

WATCH | How to hole an exigency kit for powerfulness outages and more: 

It's besides recommended phones person their artillery usage lowered by turning disconnected inheritance apps oregon determination services erstwhile not needed.

During an extended outage, fridge and freezer doors should stay closed. Government of Canada wellness guidelines authorities that a afloat freezer tin support nutrient frozen for astir 48 hours, a half-full freezer tin bash truthful for 24 hours, and an unopened refrigerator tin support nutrient acold for astir 4 hours.

Barbecues and campy stoves should ne'er beryllium utilized indoors, and LED candles oregon airy sources are recommended to trim the hazard of fire. Real candles should ne'er beryllium near unattended and should beryllium kept retired of the scope of children and animals.

Once powerfulness is restored, it is recommended to debar turning everything connected astatine erstwhile — particularly heating systems and ample appliances. 

Food should beryllium checked over, and thing that has been astatine country somesthesia for 2 hours oregon much is recommended to beryllium thrown away.

B.C. Hydro and exigency officials besides urge each households beryllium prepared astatine each times for unplanned outages that tin past up to 48 hours. They person created an exigency kit and readying checklist to assistance radical beryllium ready.

LISTEN | Advice for dealing with agelong outages from 1 of B.C.'s astir storm-prone communities: