What Stops Working in a Power Outage? A Home Dependency Checklist
September 9, 2026
Start a power-outage plan by listing what electricity does for your household. The light switch is obvious. The less visible dependencies are easier to miss until you need them.
The American Red Cross advises making an inventory of electrical needs, including medical equipment, refrigeration, communication, access and temperature control. It recommends planning alternatives with medical providers where relevant and identifying when you would need to leave. See its power outage guidance.
The worksheet below is an original GentleTools way to organise that inventory. Fill it out before an outage, when you can check manuals and ask questions.
Walk through a normal day
Begin where you wake up. Then follow the ordinary sequence: bathroom, breakfast, medication, leaving home, contacting family and coming back after dark.
At each point, ask what you would be unable to do if the power were off. Include shared building systems when they affect you. Record what you know and mark anything uncertain as “check”, rather than assuming it will work.
| Daily task | Dependency to investigate | Backup or next question |
|---|---|---|
| Enter or leave home | Powered locks, garage door, lift | Where are the documented manual instructions? |
| Prepare a meal | Appliances and food storage | Which meals fit the available safe arrangements? |
| Contact someone | Router, phone and charging | Where is the paper contact list? |
| Follow a care routine | Equipment or storage requirements | What does the provider’s written plan say? |
| Stay comfortable | Heating, cooling and building conditions | What alternative location could meet our needs? |
Do not improvise technical work on a lock, electrical system or medical device. The next task may simply be to get accurate instructions.
Make the backup specific
“Use a battery” leaves too much unfinished. Write which battery, where it is, when it was last checked and which device it is intended to support. Use manufacturer information to assess compatibility and operating limits.
For a household that shares responsibilities, add an owner to each unresolved item. “Alex will ask the building manager about the entrance by Friday” is easier to act on than “check access”.
Separate possessions from arrangements
A stored item and a workable arrangement are different things. A family member may have a suitable place to stay, but they may not know they are your backup. A spare key may exist, but be inaccessible to the person who needs it.
Create two columns: “we have this” and “we have agreed this”. Review both.
For generator safety, the Red Cross says generators belong outdoors, away from windows; never use an outdoor stove indoors. Follow manufacturer instructions and local safety advice. Do not invent an indoor workaround because weather makes the outdoor option inconvenient.
Finish one gap at a time
Choose the most consequential unanswered question and resolve it first. Then update the sheet with the answer and date. Revisit it after a move, a new appliance or a change in someone’s care needs.
Pair this inventory with a paper household contact plan. Cole Danforth’s When the Lights Don’t Come Back is related reading on prolonged disruption; this article is not a chapter summary.