Preparing for a power outage
During winter season short regional power outages may occur due to potential national electricity shortages.
Especially on cold, windless days, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the electricity in Lumo homes may be cut off temporarily – according to preliminary information, for a maximum of two hours at a time.
Information about an upcoming power outage may not reach all our residents in advance, so we recommend preparing for power outages well beforehand. You can also subscribe to an SMS alert for power outages from your local electricity distribution company.
We have compiled this information package for Lumo residents to help you prepare for possible power outages. We will update the instructions as necessary.
Check up-to-date information on possible power shortages on The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment's website in Swedish, in Arabic, in Chinese, in Estonian, in Ukrainian or in Russian.
Preparing in advance
We encourage Lumo residents to save energy by offering easy and practical energy-saving tips for everyday life.
The aim of these energy-saving measures is to avoid, or at least to minimise, power outages in winter. Reducing energy consumption during electricity shortages can help us all avoid the last resort, i.e. power outages. This also saves our residents' own electricity costs.
During a power outage, it is recommended to stay at home. You should also have an emergency kit of warm clothing, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and batteries, as well as non-perishable food and bottled water. Your mobile phone or your phone's backup battery should be kept charged. Make sure you can also find your supplies in the dark.
Power outages at home
Lighting, heating and ventilation in the home are interrupted during a power outage. The air indoors may feel stuffy, but it is advisable to keep the doors and windows closed to prevent heat from escaping.
Water pressure may drop significantly during a power outage. Avoid using kitchen and bathroom taps and a shower during the outage. A power cut can also create the risk of only burning hot water coming out of the tap. Do not flush water down the drain and avoid flushing the toilet.
Cooking becomes difficult momentarily when the oven, stove and microwave cannot be used. The doors of refrigerators and freezers should be kept closed during a power outage to prevent thawing and spoilage. A two-hour blackout won’t do too much damage if the refrigerators are kept closed.
It is advisable to turn off the lights and electrical appliances during a power outage or when a power outage is about to occur. The most important thing is to turn off the stove, oven, iron, coffee maker, and washing machine, as these may cause a fire when electricity is unexpectedly restored. One light source should be left on to signal power restoration.
During a power outage, mains-powered computers, radios and TVs are also out of service. This may complicate e.g. working from home and receiving updates about the power outage. You should follow news from your power company and residential area closely in advance, and if possible and necessary, consider moving elsewhere for the duration of the power outage.
As a rule, mobile phone traffic should work, but there may be interruptions. Avoid unnecessary calls to prevent mobile network congestion and to allow important calls, such as emergency calls, to go through.
Even if your apartment has an electric door, you can always move in and out of your home, even during a power outage.
Power outages in shared facilities
Lighting in shared facilities and courtyards is shut down during a power outage. Take care and tread carefully in dark corridors and outdoor paths.
The electrically operated exterior doors in our houses allow you to leave the house even during a power outage, but the electric keys or code pinpads of the exterior doors will not not work in all buildings. iLOQ locks also work during power cuts. Electric switches for opening and locking doors are also disabled. Exterior doors, however, should not be left open due to the risk of freezing and for safety reasons.
If you are unable to enter your house during a power outage, contact your maintenance company. You can find the maintenance company's contact details on the notice board and from My Lumo service. Save the contact details on your phone. We also recommend exchanging contact details between neighbours. A person living in the same building may be the quickest one to open a locked front door during a sudden power outage.
Door phones, garage doors, electric gates and booms will also stop working during a power outage. If you use an electric vehicle charging post, the vehicle's charging will also be interrupted during a power outage and the car should be disconnected from the charging post. The car should also be disconnected from any heating pole.
Elevators must not be used during a power outage. If you get stuck in an elevator when the power suddenly goes out, you can use the elevator's alarm phone to send for help.
Club rooms with electric locks are not accessible during a power outage. Equipment in the washrooms and drying rooms is also disabled during an outage. If you have laundry in a washing machine during a power outage, leave the laundry in the machine and check if the program works normally once power has been restored.
Sauna shifts
House saunas and shared sauna shifts cannot be used during power outages.
If an unexpected power outage occurs during your sauna shift, the heater and the shower will stop working, and you should go home to dry off.
Before leaving the sauna, please make sure that the sauna door is closed and that no objects, such as a dish towel, water bowl or bucket, are left in the sauna room near the stove.
More detailed, house-specific information on the opening hours of saunas and sauna reservations have been distributed via the My Lumo service.
Shops and services
Most businesses in an area experiencing a power outage will have to close their doors until power is restored. Some may have to stay closed for an extended period. It is advisable to have enough food and other necessities at home to last at least a few hours, or preferably up to 72 hours like recommended by the authorities and NGOs.
Check out the 72-hour contingency plan: 72hours.fi
Damage caused by a power outage
If the power outage causes damage to you or your movable property, you may be entitled to compensation from your power company or your own home insurance company. Damage caused by a power outage is compensated according to the scope of your insurance.
If a power outage causes damage to building service technology, e.g. ventilation or heating issues, you can submit a fault report via the My Lumo service: lumo.fi/faultreport
Find out more from customer service
You can learn more about power outages from your own electricity distribution company. Many companies have an SMS service through which the company will try to notify its customers in advance of known power outages.
During a power outage in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Lumo homes' customer service may have to temporarily close its phone line altogether. In pressing situations, please contact your own maintenance company. You can find their contact information through the My Lumo service and on the notice board in your building’s stairwell.
Check the power outage map for the power outage situation: sahkokatkokartta.fi (in Finnish)
Keeping busy in a power outage
Please look after your neighbours as well. Make sure that those living close to you can cope with the power outage, that there is no one in the elevator, and that no one is left out in the cold. At the same time, make sure that all exterior doors are closed. Help those in need where you can, and call for additional help if necessary.
You can also plan for ways to keep busy during a power outage. Flashlight shadow games with the kids, a picnic of snacks on the living room floor, a nap under a warm blanket, or having a chat with your family or neighbours are all possible without electricity.
