The power suddenly goes off and the whole house is in the dark. It happens more often than you'd think, and the huge blackout that hit much of Spain in 2025 was a reminder that it pays to know how to react. The good news: with a few simple steps you can protect your equipment and quickly work out whether the problem is yours or the grid's.
Here's what to do, in what order, and when it's worth calling an electrician.
First: is it your home or a general outage?
Before anything else, find out how far the outage reaches. It's the most useful thing to know:
- Look outside. Do the neighbours, entrance halls or street lights still have power? If they do and you don't, the problem is inside your home.
- Check your consumer unit (cuadro eléctrico, your fuse board). If it's your problem, the most likely cause is a tripped RCD or circuit breaker. You'll see a switch flipped down.
- If nobody has power, it's a general outage from the distribution company. In that case there's nothing to do at your board: you just have to wait.
Step by step when the power goes out
1. Stay calm and find light. Keep a torch handy or use your phone's. Avoid candles if there are children or pets around.
2. Unplug sensitive equipment. TV, computer, router, games console, and appliances with electronics. When the supply returns there can be a voltage spike, and that's exactly when devices get damaged, not during the outage itself.
3. Leave one light switched on. That way you'll know when the power comes back without having to keep checking.
4. Don't open the fridge or freezer. Kept closed, they hold their temperature for several hours. Every time you open them they lose cold.
5. If the problem is yours, check the board. Flip the tripped switch back up. If it trips again immediately, there's a fault: don't force it, and disconnect the circuits one by one to locate it.
How to protect your equipment from surges
The biggest risk of a power cut isn't being without light for a while, it's the voltage spike that can occur when the supply returns. That spike can fry the power supply of a TV, a computer or the router in an instant.
The best defence is to fit a surge protection device in your consumer unit. It protects the whole home permanently and costs relatively little compared with replacing damaged equipment. We cover it in detail in our guide to surge protection in Spain.
Can you keep the power on during an outage?
Yes. If you want your home to keep running during a cut, the answer is a battery storage system with backup function. When it detects the grid has gone down, the battery powers the home automatically, usually without you noticing much.
It's especially worthwhile if you already have (or plan to install) solar panels, or if outages are frequent in your area. An electrician can size the system around what you need to keep running: just the essentials (fridge, lights, router) or the whole house.
When to call an electrician
A general outage resolves itself once the company restores service. But some signs do call for a professional:
- When power returns, the RCD trips again and again and you can't keep it up.
- You smell burning, or see smoke or sparks at the board or a socket.
- After the cut, a circuit or part of the house has no power even though the rest does.
- The consumer unit feels hot to the touch.
In these cases, don't force the installation. Switch off the main breaker and call an electrician.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the power cut is just my home or the whole street?
Check whether your neighbours or the street lights still have power. If they do and you don't, the problem is in your installation (usually a tripped RCD or breaker). If nobody has power, it's a general outage from the distribution company.
Should I unplug appliances during a power cut?
Yes, it's wise to unplug sensitive equipment. When power returns there can be a voltage spike that damages them. Leave one light on so you know when the supply comes back.
Can a power cut damage my devices?
The outage itself won't, but the moment power is restored can produce a surge that damages electronics. A surge protection device in the consumer unit greatly reduces that risk.
Can I keep the lights on during a power cut?
A battery storage system with backup function can power your home during an outage. An electrician can size the solution around what you need to keep running.
When should I call an electrician after a power cut?
If the RCD keeps tripping when power returns, you smell burning, see sparks, or a circuit no longer works, call an electrician. There may be a fault that should be checked promptly.
Need help after a power cut?
At VLR Instalaciones we offer a 24-hour emergency electrician service across Málaga province. If your installation isn't working properly after an outage, call us and we'll check it as soon as possible, with no surprises on the quote.