electricians

How to Prepare Your California Home for PSPS Power Shutoffs Before the Next Wind Event

How to prepare your California home for PSPS power shutoffs: alerts, generators vs battery stations, wells and garage doors, food and cooling, and rebates.

How to Prepare Your California Home for PSPS Power Shutoffs Before the Next Wind Event

A Public Safety Power Shutoff can cut power to a California neighborhood for anywhere from a few hours to five days, and the utility usually gives 24 to 48 hours of notice. If your house is in a high fire-threat district served by PG&E, Southern California Edison, or San Diego Gas & Electric, that notice is the whole planning window you get.

PSPS events cluster in the fall wind season. Diablo winds in the Bay Area and Sierra foothills and Santa Ana winds in Southern California usually peak from late September through November, though shutoffs have happened as early as June and as late as December. Sonoma, Napa, Butte, El Dorado, Placer, Lake, and the mountain and foothill parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, and San Diego counties see them most often.

The difference between a rough two days and a dangerous one comes down to what you set up before the wind starts. Here is how to get a house ready.

Know Whether Your Address Is in a PSPS Zone

The three big utilities publish maps of high fire-threat districts and let you look up your address. Sign up for PSPS alerts by text, email, and phone through your utility account, and register a backup contact in case your phone is dead.

If you rent or you just bought the house, check whether the previous occupant's account is still receiving the alerts instead of you. That is one of the most common reasons people get no warning.

Ask your utility about the Medical Baseline program if anyone in the house depends on electric medical equipment. Medical Baseline customers get extra notification and, in some cases, backup battery assistance.

Check Your Circuit, Not Just Your Town

PSPS shutoffs are done by circuit, and two houses on the same street can be on different circuits. The utility maps show which circuits are in scope for a given event. Learn which one serves you so you can tell whether a forecast event applies to your house.

Backup Power: The Options and What They Cost

Portable gasoline generators in the 5,000 to 7,500 watt range cost $700 to $1,500 and will run a refrigerator, some lights, a modem, fans, and phone chargers. In California you have to store fuel safely, run it outside at least 20 feet from any window, and keep it away from dry brush during exactly the conditions that trigger a PSPS. A carbon monoxide detector in the house is mandatory.

Portable power stations, the big lithium battery units, have become the most popular PSPS solution in the state. A 1,000 to 2,000 watt-hour unit runs $800 to $2,000 and will keep a refrigerator going for 12 to 24 hours plus phones and a modem.

Larger 3,000 to 5,000 watt-hour units run $2,500 to $5,000 and can bridge two to three days with careful use. They are silent, produce no fumes, and can be recharged with portable solar panels.

Whole-home battery systems paired with rooftop solar are the top end. A Tesla Powerwall or equivalent installed runs $12,000 to $20,000 per battery, and most houses need one or two.

Paired with solar, the system recharges during the day and can carry a house through a multi-day shutoff. California's SGIP program offers rebates for batteries in high fire-threat districts, and the federal tax credit covers 30 percent.

Standby Generators

A propane or natural gas standby generator installed runs $8,000 to $15,000 and starts on its own when the grid goes down. Natural gas is usually not shut off during a PSPS, so a gas-fueled unit can run indefinitely. Installation requires a licensed electrician, a permit, and in many fire-threat areas a defensible space clearance around the unit.

Whatever you choose, have a licensed electrician install a transfer switch or interlock. Backfeeding a generator through a wall outlet is illegal and can kill a utility lineworker.

Keep the Essentials Running

A refrigerator is the first priority for most households. It will hold safe temperatures about four hours unopened without power, and a full freezer about 48 hours. If your backup power is limited, run the refrigerator in cycles rather than continuously.

Internet and phone are the second priority. A cable or fiber modem and router draw very little power and a small battery station keeps them up for a day or more. Cellular towers have backup power but can be overloaded or shut down during a long event, so a working home internet connection matters.

Medical equipment comes before both of those if anyone in the house needs it. CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and refrigerated medications need a dedicated battery plan and a backup plan for the backup.

Water and Wells

Many rural properties in PSPS zones are on wells, and a well pump needs 240 volts and more wattage than a small battery station can provide. If you are on a well, you need either a generator sized for the pump, a whole-home battery, or a stored water supply of at least a gallon per person per day for five days. Fill tubs and containers when the warning comes.

Garage Doors, Gates, and Getting Out

An electric garage door will not open without power unless you pull the manual release. Know where it is, test it, and make sure everyone in the house can operate it. In a wildfire evacuation during a PSPS, this is not the time to learn.

Automatic driveway gates are the same. Many gates in Sonoma, Napa, and Southern California foothill neighborhoods have a battery backup or a manual release. Test it before wind season.

Keep at least one car fueled above half a tank throughout fall. Gas stations without power cannot pump. Keep cash on hand, because card readers go down with the grid.

Food, Light, and Comfort

Stock four to five days of food that needs no cooking or refrigeration. A camp stove or propane grill handles hot meals outdoors, but not inside. Fill water bottles and freeze some now to keep the freezer cold and provide drinking water as they thaw.

LED lanterns and headlamps beat candles in a house in a high fire-threat district during a wind event. Keep a supply of batteries or rechargeable units topped off.

Fall PSPS events often coincide with hot, dry weather, and without power there is no air conditioning. Close blinds, use battery fans, and plan to spend the hottest hours somewhere cooler if anyone in the house is heat-sensitive. Community resource centers opened by the utilities offer charging, water, and air conditioning during events.

Protect the Electrical System and Electronics

Unplug sensitive electronics before the power goes out and leave them unplugged until it has been back for a few minutes. The restoration surge damages more equipment than the outage does.

Turn off the air conditioner, the water heater if it is electric, and the pool pump at the breaker. When power returns, bring loads back one at a time.

If you have solar without a battery, your panels shut off during an outage for safety. They will not power the house. Adding a battery is the only way to use the solar during a PSPS.

Pre-Season Work That Pays Off

Have an electrician install a transfer switch or interlock before wind season, when they are not slammed. Get the generator serviced or the battery system inspected in summer. Trim vegetation near any generator location.

Build a written PSPS checklist and post it in the garage: what to fill, what to unplug, where the manual releases are, where the flashlights are, who to call. Run through it once in September as practice.

If you are planning a battery or generator install, the electricians listed for California in our directory are a place to start, and you can find more preparation and home service guides on the blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much warning do you get before a PSPS shutoff?

Utilities try to give 48 hours of notice, then a 24-hour and a one-hour warning. Notice can be shorter if the forecast changes, so alerts by text and email are important.

How long do PSPS outages last in California?

Most last one to three days, but some have run five days or more in remote areas because lines have to be inspected before power is restored. Plan for at least three days.

Is a portable power station enough for a PSPS?

For a refrigerator, phones, a modem, and lights, a 2,000 to 5,000 watt-hour unit covers one to three days with careful use. It will not run a well pump, central air, or an electric water heater.

Does solar work during a PSPS?

Not without a battery. Grid-tied solar shuts off during an outage for lineworker safety. A battery system with islanding capability lets the panels keep charging and powering the house.

Are there rebates for backup batteries in California?

Yes. The state's SGIP program offers rebates for home batteries, with larger amounts for customers in high fire-threat districts and Medical Baseline customers. The federal tax credit covers 30 percent of the installed cost.