A 24-hour power outage is managed above all through timing: you have around four hours for food in the refrigerator if its door stays closed, while a full, unopened freezer can keep food safe for up to 48 hours. This means that during a one-day outage, the urgent concern is not the freezer but the refrigerator, water, your phone and any medical equipment someone in the household depends on.
The plan below is useful both when the network operator announces work and when a storm or fault cuts off power without warning. It is not intended to turn your home into a self-sufficient shelter, but to help you get safely through 24 hours without electricity.
For further information, see What to Do in the First 30 Minutes of a Power Outage, an article that explores an aspect directly related to this topic.
Start with a distinction: is it an area-wide outage or a problem only in your home?
If only your lights have gone out, first check the electrical panel and, if possible, ask a neighbour. A tripped breaker, faulty appliance or overloaded circuit will not be resolved by waiting for the grid supply to return. For basic checks that do not involve dismantling the installation, see the guide on how to identify a problem circuit after a breaker trips in the electrical panel.
If the outage affects the area, note the time it began. This is not a bureaucratic detail: the time becomes a reference point for food-related decisions and may be useful if you later report a fault or request information from the operator. ANRE states that the supplier must provide the network operator’s contact details, including the number for reporting outages.
A timeline-based plan: what to do beforehand, at the start and after four hours
If the outage is announced: prepare the day before
A planned outage gives you the most valuable thing: time to prepare. Check the time window communicated by the distribution operator and, if weather may worsen the situation, also follow Romania’s weather warnings and forecast. High winds, blizzards or heatwaves can make the practical effects of a power cut greater than its announced duration.
- Charge phones, power banks and flashlights. A power bank should not be treated as a replacement for a socket for the whole household; decide in advance which phone takes priority and stop unnecessary data use.
- Chill or freeze ice packs and containers of water. They can supplement ice in a cooler and fill empty freezer space, helping to maintain the temperature.
- Prepare a cooler, ice and a refrigerator thermometer, if you have one. For an anticipated 24-hour outage, do not wait for the refrigerator to warm up before looking for solutions.
- Make water accessible. If you live in an apartment building or house where water depends on pumps, a power cut can also affect the water supply. Fill clean containers for drinking, basic hygiene and, if you have pets, for them as well.
- Prepare food that requires no cooking or refrigeration. Canned food that can be opened, crackers, bread, long-lasting fruit, nuts, UHT food and food for children or pets, where applicable, are more useful than items that rely on an electric oven.
- Check essential medicines and devices. For treatments requiring refrigeration or electrically powered medical equipment, the plan should not be left to improvisation. Speak in advance with your doctor, pharmacist or equipment provider about storage and backup power.
The first 15 minutes after the outage
Turn on a flashlight or battery-powered lamp; do not start with candles. Candles can easily spread fire near curtains, children or pets, and good visibility matters more than atmosphere.
- Confirm whether the problem is local or area-wide.
- Note the time of the outage and check information from the distribution operator.
- Close the refrigerator and freezer doors. Do not open them “just to check”.
- Unplug sensitive electronics or high-consumption appliances that do not need to remain connected. Voltage fluctuations may occur when the power returns; leave connected only the lighting you need.
- Send a brief message to people close to you if you need to coordinate. Messages generally use less battery than long calls.
If you see fallen wires, sparks or smoke, or there is a risk of electrocution or fire, do not approach and call 112. For a simple power outage, use the fault-reporting channel of the distribution operator in your area.
The four-hour threshold: the refrigerator becomes the main priority
An unopened refrigerator keeps perishable food at a safe temperature for around four hours. After that period, meat, fish, eggs, milk, cooked food and leftovers should not simply be left in the refrigerator until the power returns.
If you have ice and a cooler, transfer perishable items into it so that they remain cold. Do not repeatedly open the cooler. If you have no cold source, be prepared to discard perishable items that have spent more than four hours in an unrefrigerated refrigerator. Do not taste food to check whether it is safe: appearance and smell cannot confirm food safety.
| Storage location | Indicative duration without power, with the door closed | Practical decision for a 24-hour outage |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 4 hours | After 4 hours, move perishables to a cooler with ice or discard them if you cannot keep them cold. |
| Full freezer | Up to 48 hours | Do not open it. For 24 hours, food has a good chance of remaining safe if the freezer was full and securely closed. |
| Half-full freezer | Up to 24 hours | It is right at the limit of this plan. Do not open it, and later check whether items still have ice crystals. |
After power returns, frozen food that still has ice crystals or is as cold as refrigerated food can generally be cooked or refrozen. Completely thawed and warmed items should be assessed conservatively: when in doubt, throw them out.
The minimum supplies that make a difference in an ordinary home
During a one-day outage, you do not necessarily need a generator. You need redundancy for things that cannot wait: light, communications, water, food and information.
- Two flame-free light sources: a flashlight and a battery-powered lamp or headlamp. A headlamp keeps your hands free for children, medicines or food preparation.
- Spare batteries suitable for the devices you own: do not buy “universal” batteries without checking the type required.
- A power bank and the right cables: test them beforehand; a power bank left discharged is not a reserve.
- Water in clean containers: sized according to the number of people, pets and any medical restrictions. Do not assume the tap will keep working.
- Simple food for one day: with no reliance on a refrigerator, electric oven or kettle.
- A cooler and cold sources: particularly if you have young children, special food or large grocery purchases that would be costly to lose.
- A paper list: the distribution operator’s number, contacts, medicines, instructions for medical equipment and the home’s exact address. Your phone may run out of battery or lose signal.
Keep these items in an easy-to-find place, rather than in several drawers. Preparation works when it can be used in the dark, not only when you remember where you put each item.
Heat, cooling and air: do not improvise with fuel-burning sources
In cold weather, keep activities in one room, dress in layers and use blankets. During heatwaves, avoid exertion, drink fluids and seek a cool place if the home becomes too hot. For infants, older people, people with chronic illnesses and pets, extreme temperatures can quickly turn a power outage from an inconvenience into a health issue.
Do not use a gas cooker or oven to heat a room. Do not bring a charcoal grill, camping stove, fuel lamp or generator indoors. All can produce carbon monoxide, a colourless, odourless gas that can cause loss of consciousness and death.
Symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, confusion or chest pain occurring in several people in the same room should be treated as a potential emergency. Get into fresh air if it is safe to do so, and call 112.
Generators and solar panels: two solutions with important limitations
A portable generator can power only carefully selected appliances, not an entire home “at random”. Do not run it indoors, in a basement, garage or enclosed balcony, and keep it away from doors, windows and ventilation intakes. Use cables suitable for outdoor use and a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector inside the home.
Do not connect a generator to a wall socket to power the home’s electrical system. This can feed electricity back into the grid and endanger crews working on the fault. Supplying circuits from the electrical panel requires a transfer system designed and installed by an authorised electrician.
Likewise, photovoltaic panels do not automatically mean electricity during an outage. Many grid-connected systems shut down when the grid fails, a protection required for the safety of repair work. Backup power is possible only if the system has a battery, a backup/islanding function and circuits configured for this purpose. If you have solar panels, check your inverter documentation now to see exactly what remains powered when the grid is unavailable; do not wait for a power cut to carry out the first test.
People dependent on medical equipment need a separate plan
For an oxygen concentrator, CPAP machine, monitoring device, medicine refrigerator or any essential device, a 24-hour reserve must be established with the doctor and equipment provider. An ordinary phone power bank is not a universal solution for medical devices.
ANRE specifies that when a person requiring life support through electrical equipment lives at a consumption point, medical documents certifying that need must be submitted to the supplier. This formality does not replace a backup energy source or an evacuation plan; however, it is important for dealings with the supplier. Details are set out by ANRE in its electricity consumer rights information.
When power returns: do not restart everything at once
First check that the lights and sockets are working normally. Then reconnect important appliances gradually. Start with the refrigerator and freezer, then the remaining appliances. If there has been a burning smell, sparks, water around the electrical installation or repeated breaker trips, do not persist: switch off the circuit and call an electrician.
Note the actual time power was restored and check food according to temperature rules, not just its appearance. For damaged appliances or outages that exceed applicable standards, keep evidence: outage times, photographs, receipts and any response received from the operator. ANRE states that users may be entitled to damages or compensation under the applicable contractual and regulatory conditions.
Keep-this-handy checklist
- flashlight or battery-powered lamp;
- spare batteries and a charged power bank;
- water and food for 24 hours;
- cooler, ice or ice packs;
- refrigerator/freezer thermometer, if possible;
- medicines and instructions for medical equipment;
- the distribution operator’s number and family members’ numbers, on paper;
- a smoke detector and battery-powered carbon monoxide detector where there are combustion sources or a generator;
- warmer clothes and blankets in winter; extra water and ways to cool down in summer.
A good 24-hour power-outage plan does not mean buying lots of things. It means knowing what spoils first, what can become dangerous and what you can prepare before the lights go out.
Frequently asked questions
How long does food last in the refrigerator without power?
If the door remains closed, the refrigerator keeps perishable food at a safe temperature for around four hours. After that, perishables should be moved to a cooler with ice or discarded if they cannot be kept cold.
How long does a freezer last during a power outage?
A full freezer kept closed can keep food for around 48 hours. A half-full freezer can last for around 24 hours. Once power returns, items that still have ice crystals can generally be cooked or refrozen.
Can I use the cooker to heat my home when I have no power?
No. A gas cooker or oven should not be used to heat the home. They can generate carbon monoxide and increase the risk of fire. Use layered clothing and blankets and, if temperatures become dangerous, seek a safe heated or cool space.
Do solar panels work when the grid goes down?
Not always. Most systems simply connected to the grid shut down automatically when the grid fails. You have backup power only if the installation includes a battery, a backup or islanding function, and circuits configured for autonomous operation.
What should I do if someone in the home depends on an electric medical device?
Arrange in advance for a backup power solution validated for that specific device, and speak with the doctor or equipment provider. In Romania, ANRE also refers to submitting medical documents to the supplier for consumption points where life support through electrical equipment is necessary.
