Food in the fridge and freezer
The night before, turn the fridge and freezer a little colder, freeze a few bottles of water to fill gaps in the freezer, and run down what's in the fridge where you can. On the day, keep both doors shut. A full freezer stays frozen far longer than a half-empty one, and opening the door is what lets the cold out.
Move the things that spoil fastest, such as milk, meat, seafood and cooked leftovers, into an esky with ice or ice bricks. When the power comes back, check that the fridge and freezer have restarted. If anything perishable has warmed up, the safe choice is to throw it out.
Medication, medical equipment and aquariums
Refrigerated medicines such as insulin can go in a small esky with an ice brick, wrapped so they don't freeze; your pharmacist can tell you what each one needs. Home medical equipment that runs on mains power, such as an oxygen concentrator, needs a plan agreed before the day, which may mean a battery backup or being somewhere else while the work is done.
Aquarium filters, heaters and air pumps stop with the power. A battery air pump and a blanket around the tank help it hold oxygen and warmth, and skipping a feed that morning keeps the water cleaner.
Alarms, devices and generators
Security systems switch to battery and may report a fault, and most hardwired smoke alarms carry on with their backup battery. Charge phones, laptops and power banks the night before. If you hire a generator, run appliances from its own outlets, and never plug it into a power point or connect it to the board.
Why the power stays off until the inspection
Replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work. Energy Safe Victoria says the power can't go back on to a new main switchboard until a Licensed Electrical Inspector has inspected it, so the inspection is part of the job plan. We give you the expected window when we book, but plan for the full working day rather than an early finish.
Services that can help
Read more in our guides
- Planning a switchboard upgrade without surprisesWhat the electrician needs to check, how to compare the scope and what to organise before the power goes off.
- Preparing your home for a power outageGet ready before the power goes: lighting, fridges and freezers, garage doors, medical equipment, what to unplug and how to bring the house back on afterwards.
Related questions
- Do I need to be home for a switchboard upgrade?Someone should be there at the start and at the end, and the electrician needs access to the switchboard and to the rooms inside for testing.
- Why does a Licensed Electrical Inspector need to check my new switchboard?Because replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work in Victoria.
- What is a sub-board, and do I have one?A sub-board is a smaller switchboard fed by its own cable from a circuit breaker on your main switchboard.
- What photos help with an electrical enquiry?Three or four clear photos usually do it: the switchboard with its door open and every cover left in place, a wider shot of where the job is, and any appliance or…
Sources for this answer
2 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Energy Safe Victoria: The electrician has eight business days after the work is completed to have that work inspected by a licensed electrical inspector (LEI). If an electrician replaces a main switchboard at a property, power cannot go back… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Energy Safe Victoria: Prescribed electrical installation work cannot be turned on or left turned on until it has been inspected. Accessed 30 September 2026.
General information for homes in Victoria. Every installation is different, so treat this as a starting point. Where this answer refers to Victorian safety or rental rules, the sources above have the current requirements.