When the power goes out, the first question is who to call: FPL or an electrician. Calling the wrong one costs time. A few quick checks, none of which involve opening anything, usually answer it in under five minutes.
The five-minute checklist
- Is the whole house out, or only part of it? If some rooms or outlets still work, skip to the section on partial outages below. A partial outage is almost always inside the house.
- Do the neighbors have power? Look at nearby houses and the streetlights. If they are out too, it is an FPL outage.
- Check FPL. Look for your area on the FPL outage map or in the FPL app, or call 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). If there is a reported outage, FPL is on it.
- Check your main breaker. Open the panel door (not the cover) and look at the main breaker, usually the large one at the top. If it has tripped, push it fully to OFF and then ON, once. If it trips again, leave it off and call an electrician.
- Look at the meter. Most FPL meters have a digital display. A blank display points to no power reaching the meter, which is FPL's side. A working display with no power in the house points to your side.
Who is responsible for what
In general, FPL is responsible for the lines, transformers and equipment that bring power to your meter, and for the meter itself. Everything from the meter into the house is the homeowner's responsibility: the meter enclosure, the conductors into the house, the main breaker, the panel and all the wiring. That split is why the meter is such a useful check.
Overhead and underground service drops differ, and condos and some newer neighborhoods have their own arrangements. If you are not sure, report it to FPL; they will tell you if the problem is theirs.
Signs it is FPL's side
- Neighbors or streetlights are out too.
- The FPL map or app shows an outage in your area.
- The meter display is blank.
- A line is down, a transformer is making noise, or you saw a flash or heard a bang outside.
If a line is down, stay well away from it and from anything it touches, including fences and puddles. Call FPL and 911.
Signs it is your house
- Neighbors have power and FPL shows no outage.
- The main breaker has tripped, or will not reset.
- The meter is working but the house is dark.
- Only part of the house is out.
- Lights are dim or flickering, or some are brighter than others.
- You smell burning, or the panel is warm or buzzing.
Any of these points to the electrical system on your side of the meter, and that is a call for a licensed electrician. If there is heat, a smell or buzzing, turn off the main breaker if you can do it safely and call. Do not open the panel or the meter enclosure.
Partial outages
When part of the house is out, the cause is almost always inside: a tripped breaker, a tripped GFCI outlet protecting other outlets, a failed connection partway along a circuit, or a problem in the panel. If roughly half the house is out and large appliances like the dryer or range will not run, one of the two sides of the incoming service may be lost, which can be on either side of the meter. Our post on half the house without power explains that case, and partial power outage repair covers what we do about it.
After a storm
After a hurricane or tropical storm, FPL restores the grid first. When your power comes back, or if your neighbors' power comes back and yours does not, the problem may be storm damage on your side: a damaged service mast, water in the meter enclosure or panel, or a tree that pulled the service drop. Do not switch the main breaker back on if water reached the panel or outlets. Our post-storm electrical safety checklist covers what to look at first, and storm readiness covers backup power.
While you wait
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible.
- Unplug computers, TVs and other electronics, so they are not hit by a surge when power returns.
- Leave one light switched on so you know when the power is back.
- If you use a portable generator, run it outdoors, away from windows and doors, and plug appliances into it with cords. Never connect a generator to house wiring without a proper transfer switch or interlock installed by an electrician. It can send power back into the lines and injure utility workers.
When you call us
Tell us what you found on the checklist: whether the neighbors have power, whether the main breaker has tripped, and what the meter display shows. That tells us most of what we need before we arrive. Our before you call page lists the rest.
Need it looked at?
KRW Electric (EC13012832) troubleshoots and repairs power loss, partial outages and panel problems in Pinecrest, Coconut Grove, South Miami and Miami Beach, with same-day service when scheduling permits. Call (305) 359-7312 and tell us what you are seeing. We will ask a few questions, tell you whether it sounds urgent, and give you the earliest time we have. Our before you call checklist covers what to have ready, and what happens on a repair visit explains the rest.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
