No Power? Here’s How to Keep Your Food Cold

What to Know

Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed throughout a power outage to keep perishable foods cold
Turn down the temperature dials all the way now; fill freezer with water jugs or dry ice
PG&E will not offer reimbursement for food losses because the power outages are planned for public safety reasons

With some 800,000 PG&E customers losing power this week, many families might be worried about losing hundreds of dollars worth of groceries as their refrigerators and freezers go quiet.

The good news: if you take a few simple steps now, you might be able to keep that food cold, even without electricity.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture makes several recommendations for saving frozen and refrigerated food:

Keep the doors closed. Every time you open your refrigerator during a blackout, precious cold air will escape — and it will be replaced by warmer room-temperature air.
A half-stocked freezer will keep food frozen for 24 hours. Remember to place meat and poultry on one side of the freezer or on a tray to prevent cross contamination of thawing juices.
A Fully-stocked freezer will keep food frozen for 48 hours. Need to fill some space? Just add water — in jugs or bottles. Keep in mind, ice expands as it freezes, so leave some extra space in the container.
Turn the thermostat controls down to the lowest temperature settings. This can help everything stay colder, longer.
Pack dry ice in your freezer. Many grocery stores sell this, and its temperature is more than 100° below freezing!
Keep a few days' worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling

Another note: you won't be able to get reimbursed for any food spoilage resulting from the planned power outages. PG&E told us: "We do not reimburse customers for losses, as power will be shut off for safety when gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk, threaten a portion of the electric system."