A Texas power outage doesn’t just happen during winter storms. Summer heat waves push the grid to its limits every July and August. Severe thunderstorms knock out local lines. Hurricane season threatens the coast. Equipment failures cause neighborhood-level blackouts with no weather event at all.
Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 taught Texas a brutal lesson about grid vulnerability. Millions lost power for days in freezing temperatures. Most outages are shorter, more localized, and completely survivable with basic preparation.
Here’s what to do before, during, and after the power goes out.
Before: Preparation That Actually Matters
90% of outage misery comes from not having three things: light, water, and a charged phone. Fifteen minutes of prep now saves hours of scrambling later.
Build an Outage Kit
Store these items in an accessible location—not the back of the garage:
Immediate needs:
- Flashlights with fresh batteries (at least two per household)
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (for emergency broadcasts)
- Phone charging options: fully charged power bank (minimum 10,000 mAh), car charger, or hand-crank charger
- First aid kit
- Cash ($200 in small bills—ATMs don’t work without power)
Food and water:
- 1 gallon of water per person per day (minimum 3-day supply)
- Non-perishable food that doesn’t require cooking (canned goods, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars)
- Manual can opener
- Paper plates and disposable utensils
Temperature control:
- Extra blankets and sleeping bags (winter)
- Battery-powered fans (summer)
- Hand warmers and toe warmers (winter)
- Cooler with ice packs (for medication and food preservation)
Know Your Electrical System
- Locate your breaker box: Know how to shut off individual circuits and the main breaker
- Identify your TDU: Your Transmission and Distribution Utility (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, or TNMP) is responsible for power lines and outage restoration—not your retail electric provider. Learn more in our TDU charges guide
- Find your TDU’s outage map: Bookmark the outage tracker for your utility
Protect Your Electronics
Surge protectors: Plug sensitive electronics (computers, TVs, routers) into surge protectors. Power restoration often causes voltage spikes that can fry equipment.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): For home offices and medical equipment, a UPS provides 15-60 minutes of battery backup—enough to save work and shut down safely.
Manage Your Refrigerator Strategy
A full refrigerator stays cold longer than a half-empty one. If outages are forecast:
- Fill empty space with water bottles (they act as thermal mass)
- Set refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings
- Freeze water in plastic containers to use as ice packs
A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for 4 hours. A closed, full freezer maintains temperature for 48 hours (24 hours if half full).
Consider a Generator
Portable generators range from $300-2,000 and can power critical circuits during extended outages.
Critical rules:
- NEVER run a generator indoors, in a garage, or near open windows. Carbon monoxide kills.
- Run generators at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointing away
- Don’t connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring without a transfer switch (back-feeding can electrocute utility workers)
- Store fuel safely in approved containers, away from the home
Home Battery Systems
Whole-home battery systems (Tesla Powerwall, Enphase, Generac) charge from the grid or solar panels and automatically power your home during outages. They’re expensive ($10,000-15,000 installed) but eliminate generator hassles and fuel storage.
If you have solar panels, check whether your system is designed to work during outages. Many grid-tied solar systems shut down when the grid goes down (for safety reasons) unless paired with a battery.
During: What to Do When the Lights Go Out
Your first moves in a power outage determine whether the next few hours are an inconvenience or a crisis. Start with these steps.
First 15 Minutes
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Check if it’s just your home: Look outside. If neighbors have power, check your breaker box. A tripped breaker or blown fuse is the most common cause of single-home outages.
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Report the outage to your TDU (not your retail provider):
- Oncor: 888-313-4747 or oncor.com
- CenterPoint: 800-332-7143 or centerpointenergy.com
- AEP Texas: 866-223-8508 or aeptexas.com
- TNMP: 888-866-7456 or tnmp.com
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Unplug sensitive electronics to protect from power surges when electricity returns. Leave one light on so you know when power is restored.
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Check on vulnerable household members: Elderly relatives, infants, and anyone dependent on medical equipment need immediate attention.
Temperature Management
Summer outages are dangerous in Texas. Without AC, indoor temperatures can exceed 100°F within hours.
- Move to the lowest floor (heat rises)
- Close blinds and curtains to block direct sun
- Drink water frequently before you feel thirsty
- Wet towels and place them on your neck and wrists
- If the temperature becomes dangerous, go to an air-conditioned public space (library, shopping center, cooling center)
Warning signs of heat exhaustion: Heavy sweating, weakness, cold/clammy skin, nausea, dizziness. If symptoms progress to hot/dry skin, rapid pulse, or confusion, that’s heat stroke—call 911.
Winter outages carry hypothermia risks, especially for elderly residents and young children.
- Layer clothing (wool and fleece retain heat when wet)
- Gather in one room and close doors to unused rooms
- Seal drafts around windows with towels or blankets
- Use body heat—huddle together under blankets
- NEVER use a gas stove, charcoal grill, or propane heater indoors for warmth (carbon monoxide risk)
Food Safety
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed. Every time you open the door, you lose hours of cold.
- Refrigerated food is safe for 4 hours with the door closed
- A full freezer holds temperature for 48 hours
- After 4 hours without power, move perishables to a cooler with ice
- When in doubt, throw it out. Food poisoning isn’t worth saving $30 in groceries.
Water
If the outage is widespread, water treatment plants may be affected. Municipal authorities will issue a boil-water notice if needed. Until then, tap water is generally safe.
If you’re on a well (common in rural Texas), your water pump won’t work without electricity. This is where your stored water supply matters.
Communication
- Conserve phone battery: reduce screen brightness, disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, close unnecessary apps
- Text instead of calling (texts use less bandwidth and go through when calls don’t)
- Monitor your TDU’s outage map for restoration estimates
- Listen to local AM/FM radio for emergency broadcasts
After: When Power Returns
The grid coming back on doesn’t mean the danger is over. Voltage spikes, spoiled food, and burst pipes can cause more damage than the outage itself.
Don’t Rush
Power restoration can be unstable. Wait 15-30 minutes after lights come on before plugging in sensitive electronics.
Check Your Food
Use a food thermometer if you have one:
- Refrigerated food above 40°F for more than 2 hours: discard
- Frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is 40°F or below: safe to refreeze
- Any food that looks or smells questionable: discard
Reset Your Systems
- Turn the thermostat back to normal
- Check that your water heater is working
- Reset clocks, timers, and any appliances that need reprogramming
- Restart your internet router and check connectivity
Document Damage
If the outage caused damage (spoiled food, damaged electronics from power surges, burst pipes from freezing):
- Take photos of all damage
- Save receipts for replacement items
- Check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy—many cover food spoilage and equipment damage from power surges
- File a claim if the damage exceeds your deductible
Check Your Electricity Bill
Extended outages should result in lower electricity usage for that billing period. If your bill doesn’t reflect the outage, contact your retail electric provider with the dates and duration.
Understanding Outage Types
A transformer blowout and an ERCOT-ordered rolling blackout require different responses. Knowing which type you’re dealing with helps you estimate how long you’ll wait.
Rolling Blackouts (ERCOT-Ordered)
When electricity demand exceeds supply, ERCOT orders rolling blackouts—temporary, rotating outages across different areas. Each area loses power for 15-45 minutes before it’s rotated to another area.
Rolling blackouts are announced in advance when possible. Monitor ERCOT’s website and local news for conservation alerts (the stages before mandatory curtailment).
Weather-Related Outages
Storms, ice, and hurricanes damage local infrastructure (power lines, transformers, substations). These outages affect specific neighborhoods and last until crews repair the physical damage—anywhere from hours to days depending on severity.
Equipment Failures
Transformer blowouts, substation malfunctions, and underground cable failures cause localized outages unrelated to weather. These are typically shorter (2-8 hours) but unpredictable.
How Your Electricity Provider Fits In
Most people call the wrong company when the lights go out. Your retail electric provider (REP)—TXU Energy, Reliant Energy, Gexa Energy, etc.—sells you electricity. They don’t own the power lines. During an outage:
- Report outages to your TDU, not your REP
- Billing questions go to your REP
- Restoration timelines come from your TDU
- Your electricity rate doesn’t change during an outage (you’re just not using electricity)
If you’re on a prepaid plan, outages don’t drain your balance—you only pay for what you use.
The Bottom Line
Power outages in Texas range from minor inconveniences to genuine emergencies. The difference between the two is preparation.
The 80/20 of outage prep:
- Water and flashlights handle 90% of short outages
- A charged power bank keeps your phone alive for communication
- A full freezer buys you 48 hours of food safety
- Knowing your TDU’s number gets the outage reported and tracked
For extended outages (12+ hours), a portable generator or home battery system provides comfort and safety that no amount of candles can match.
Don’t wait for the next weather event to prepare. The best time to buy a flashlight is before you need it.
For winter-specific preparation, check our guide on Texas winter storm electricity prep. To understand how the Texas grid works and why outages happen, read our ERCOT explainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I call during a Texas power outage?
Call your Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU), not your retail electricity provider. Oncor: 888-313-4747. CenterPoint: 800-332-7143. AEP Texas: 866-223-8508. TNMP: 888-866-7456. Your TDU owns the power lines and manages restoration.
How long do Texas power outages typically last?
Most localized outages (equipment failure, storm damage) last 2-8 hours. Severe weather events can extend outages to 1-3 days in heavily damaged areas. Grid-wide events like Winter Storm Uri (2021) caused outages lasting up to 4 days in some areas, though this was unprecedented.
How can I prepare for a Texas power outage?
Core preparation includes: flashlights with batteries, a charged power bank for phones, 3 days of water (1 gallon per person per day), non-perishable food, cash, and blankets. Keep your freezer full (it stays cold longer). Know your TDU’s outage reporting number and bookmark their outage map.
Will I still be billed for electricity during an outage?
No, you’re only billed for electricity you use. Your smart meter tracks actual consumption, so your bill will reflect lower usage during the outage period. If your bill seems incorrect after an outage, contact your retail electricity provider with the outage dates.