If your house has no power while your neighbors do, the problem may be inside your home’s electrical system, at your service equipment or on a utility line that serves only your house. A tripped main breaker is one common cause, but damaged service equipment or a utility problem can look the same.
Because the cause can be on either side, it helps to check a few things safely before deciding who to call.
Check Your Main Breaker
Your electrical panel usually has a main breaker that controls power to the whole house. If it has tripped, the entire home can lose power.
If it is safe to reach the panel, and the panel is not hot, wet, buzzing or damaged, look to see whether the main breaker is off or in a tripped position. If it trips again after you reset it, leave it off and call an electrician.
Do not remove the panel cover or touch anything inside the panel.
Problems With Your Service Equipment
Power reaches your home through a service connection, a meter and the wiring that leads to your panel. Damage or loose connections anywhere along that path can cut power to the whole house.
Storms, falling branches, ice and aging connections can all affect service equipment. Signs of trouble include a damaged service line, a damaged meter, sparking near the meter or burn marks.
Responsibility for these parts can vary. Some belong to the utility, while others, such as the meter base and service wiring on the house, may be the homeowner’s responsibility. The utility can help clarify which applies.
Utility Problems That Affect Only Your Home
Sometimes the problem is on the utility side, even if neighbors have power. A transformer or line that serves only a few homes, or just yours, can fail.
In Denver, Xcel Energy is the electric utility for most homes. You can report an outage to the utility and check whether it shows a problem in your area.
If you see a downed power line, stay far away, assume it is live and call 911 and the utility. Do not try to move it.
When to Call an Electrician
Call an electrician if the main breaker keeps tripping, the panel shows signs of heat or damage or the utility confirms that power is reaching your home but the house is still dark.
An electrician can check the panel, main breaker and service equipment on your side of the meter to find the cause.
If you see smoke, smell burning or notice sparking, leave the area and call 911.
If your home is without power, our power outage troubleshooting page explains how whole-home outages are diagnosed. Contact us to describe what you have checked so far, and we can help you plan the next step.