Frequently asked questions about power outage

• Stock your home with battery powered light sources, including a flashlight and a headlamp, and keep them in a place where you and your family members would be able to easily find them even in the darkness.
• Gather enough stocks to be able to get by independently for a week. A long-lasting power outage might mean that stores, pharmacies and gas stations are closed. Payments may also be disrupted.
• Keep at home a food stockpile that you would be able to use in a situation where you don't have the possibility to heat it. It would also be of help if you had a wood stove, a grill, a camping stove or a kerosene stove on which to prepare food.
• It would be good to keep fully charged battery banks at home. These would allow you to charge your phone or a battery powered lamp. Use them sparingly and only in case of an urgency. In this way you will prolong their working time.
• Figure out the where the closest locations where you could physically turn to in case of a communications outage are: rescue services, the police station, the ambulance station, the hospital etc.
• Get a radio that works on batteries, a dynamo or solar cell. You can also listen to the news and crisis information on your car radio.

Recommendations on what to stockpile at home can be found on the olevalmis.ee web page and mobile app.

The State Agency of Medicines recommends keeping at least one month's stocks of the family's prescription medicines in the medicine cabinet at home.

Additionally, the home should have stocks of the following things necessary for the household for one week:

• antipyretics and painkillers
• allergy medicines
• medicines for digestive problems
• cold medicines
• first aid, including for treating burns.

Domestic water supply and sewage service are usually also dependent on having power, so stockpile drinking water, trash bags at home, and think through your alternative solutions (e.g. a well, natural spring nearby, wet tissues for washing yourself etc.)

You can find more information on the Olevalmis.ee web page and mobile app.

Estonian hospitals have taken up different measures to ensure the provision of vital services and access to urgent care even during unexpected power outages.

The Health Board invested €13.2 in 2023 to ensure the resilience of hospitals during power outages. For this end, they procured power generators, the working order of which is checked regularly. The main priority is ensuring the operability of all processes and activities necessary for the provision of vital services.

Elering notifies Elektrilevi of a need for restrictions and a deficit. After this, Elektrilevi initiates the following pre-configured system:

• consumption is restricted in peak hours, 2 hours at a time
• a pre-configured system picks automatically, by power line, the clients subject to restrictions according to the volume of consumption at that moment
• risk to human rights objects are excluded from the restrictions: hospitals, care homes, homes and care homes that have respirators, care homes and orphanages for children with special needs

The power companies will notify all their affected clients about the restrictions directly, just as they do during regular power outages. Additionally, the information is also communicated more widely in other channels of communication.

It is the common goal for all of us that the possible effects of the cuts to the people and consumers of Estonia would be minimal.

The decision on initiating a power cut is based on a deficit in consumption. When Elering sees that a deficit is forming, it will give input on this to the distribution network operator Elektrilevi.

Before giving instructions on restrictions, Elering has the task of implementing all other possible alternative measures, both nationally and in regional cooperation with other countries, the most important of which is including additional capacities. Elering, Elektrilevi and state authorities are working towards ensuring the Estonian security of supply at any point in time, and keeping the possible effects on the Estonian people and consumers minimal.

The basis for restricting the power supply is the Electricity Market Act.

If there is a shortage of power supply and the consumption of power needs to be curtailed, it will take place in the following way:

• consumption is limited during peak hours, 2 hours at a time
• a pre-configured system picks automatically, by power line, the clients that are set limits, according to the volume of consumption of that moment
• objects where power is essential for human life are left out of the limitations: hospitals, care homes, homes and care homes with respirators, care homes and orphanages for children with special needs

The power companies will notify all their affected clients directly, just as they do during regular power outages. Additionally, the information is also communicated more widely in other channels of communication.

Yes, 112 can be called in the event of an emergency even if there is no power.

If you do not have a signal or the signal is poor, do as follows:

1. If you are indoors, go outside - the quality of the signal may be better outdoors.
2. Try the networks of other operators. In order to do this, remove the SIM from your mobile phone or restart the phone. Dial the emergency number instead of entering your PIN.
3. If calling does not work, try sending an SMS to the emergency number 112, containing the address to which help should be sent and a description of the kind of assistance that is required. Know where the nearest police station, rescue centre or ambulance station is located. These authorities have a connection to the Emergency Response Centre, and for this reason those should be the places to turn to for calling for aid in a crisis situation.

Good to know! A longer power cut affects the quality of mobile communication, as some of the mobile communication base stations will become unusable and only those equipped with a battery- or generator-based power supply will remain accessible. Save the battery of your devices during a power cut and only use mobile services (calls, internet) if it is unavoidable.

Yes, but a longer power outage may affect the quality of mobile connection, as some of the mobile connection base stations will become unusable and only those equipped with a battery- or generator-based power supply will remain accessible. The emergency number 112 and the State helpline 1247 will remain operable during power outages. If there is no risk to life or health but you need information from the state, try calling 1247.

• Avoid any unnecessary calls during a power outage: only use mobile services (calls, internet) if it is unavoidable, in order to save the battery of your devices and avoid overburdening the network. If it is not an emergency, send a text message instead of calling, for example.
• If your signal is poor or there is no signal and you are indoors, go outside: the quality of the signal may be better outside of the building.
• The networks of other operators can also be used for calling the emergency number 112 - in order to do this, remove the SIM card from your phone or restart your phone. Dial the emergency number instead of entering your PIN.

Good to know! You can shut down all apps and functions with the highest energy consumption on your smartphone, switch off mobile communication, and set your phone on the energy saving mode to save the battery for emergency situations. It would also be a good idea to get a battery bank which should always be kept charged.

• Only use mobile services (calls, internet) if it is unavoidable (e.g. in an emergency situation).
• Buy a battery bank and keep it charged.
• Shut down all apps and functions with the highest energy consumption on your smartphone, switch off mobile communication, and set your phone on the energy saving mode.

Temporary inaccuracies in the use of GPS devices can be noted, stemming from the fact that the work of the fixed stations of the global system of navigation satellites is disrupted during the power cuts.

There are 30 petrol stations with autonomous power supply in Estonia, and if regular power supply cuts out, they will switch to autonomous (mostly based on a backup generator) power supply within 30 minutes and can receive and provide fuel and keep the sales system operational.

Important! As card payments might not work during a power outage, you should be prepared to pay in cash.

Harju County and Tallinn

• Circle K, Harju County, Tallinn, Lasnamäe district, Kivimurru tn 48
• Olerex, Harju County, Jõelähtme municipality, Jõelähtme village, Kivisilla tee 1
• Jetoil, Harju County, Kuusalu municipality, Kiiu, Lehe tee 2a
• Krooning, Harju County, Lääne-Harju municipality, Rummu, Haapsalu mnt 40
• Terminal, Harju County, Maardu, Üleoru tn 1
• Alexela, Harju County, Rae municipality, Jüri, Uus-Ringu tee 3
• Neste, Harju County, Rae municipality, Jüri, Uus-Ringi tee 1
• Alexela, Harju County, Saku municipality, Tammemäe village, Männiku tee 146/1
• Krooning, Harju County, Saue municipality, Kohatu village, Tuulepesa

Hiiu County

• Jetoil, Hiiu County, Hiiumaa municipality, Käina, Mäe tn 9

Jõhvi and Ida-Viru County

• Alexela, Ida-Viru County, Jõhvi municipality, Jõhvi Rakvere tn 44

Järva County

• Circle K, Järva County, Järva municipality, Märjandi village, Karikakra

Lääne County

• Krooning, Lääne County, Lääne-Nigula municipality, Risti, Lihula mnt 15

Rakvere and Lääne-Viru County

• JetOil, Lääne-Viru County, Rakvere, Narva mnt 30

Põlva and Põlva County

• Circle K, Põlva County, Põlva municipality, Põlva, Kesk tn 43

Pärnu and Pärnu County

• Neste, Pärnu County, Pärnu, Niidu tn 9
• Olerex, Pärnu County, Pärnu, Laki 8
• Circle K, Pärnu County, Häädemeeste municipality, Arumetsa village, Valge

Rapla and Rapla County

• Hepa, Rapla County, Rapla municipality, Rapla, Tallinna mnt 2
• Circle K, Rapla County, Rapla municipality, Uusküla, Risti tn 1

Saare County

• Saare Kütus, Saare County, Saaremaa municipality, Sikasaare village, Ringtee 2a (Roonimäe petrol station)

Tartu and Tartu County

• Alexela, Tartu County, Tartu, Lääneringtee 41
• Circle K, Tartu County, Tartu municipality, Raadi, Astelpaju tn 2a
• Neste, Tartu County, Kambja municipality, Räni, Valguse tn 2
• Terminal, Tartu County, Tartu municipality, Kärkna village, Kärkna petrol station

Valga County

• Premium-7, Valga County, Tõrva municipality, Pikasilla village, Pikasilla petrol station

Viljandi and Viljandi County

• Olerex, Viljandi County, Viljandi, Metsaküla tee 9

Võru and Võru County

• Alexela, Võru County, Võru, Kose tee 6
• Terminal Oil, Võru County, Võru, Räpina mnt 11

Additionally, there are close to 100 other petrol stations in Estonia that can be connected to a generator if necessary and a vast majority of new petrol station are already designed with this capability.

More information: Estonian Stockpiling Agency

Yes, anyone can use the petrol stations with autonomous power supply.

Providers of vital and other critical services use different measures (incl. direct contracts, reserves) to ensure availability of the fuel required for the continuity of services in the event of delivery difficulties or different crises. It is, however, important to add that the Government of the Republic may enforce restrictions on the use of fuel which may include refuelling quotas or decisions on who will have access to fuel. Thus, it would be reasonable for each consumer to have their personal reserves and to keep their fuel tanks as full as possible.

Yes, in order to ensure the supply for Estonian inhabitants and companies in case of a crisis situation or supply disruptions, the state has stockpiled petrol, diesel, as well as jet fuel in the volume of three months' regular consumption.

In addition to the state stockpile, the fuel companies operating in Estonia also have substantial commercial stockpiles.

Yes, the state has a stockpile of ready-made food that is stored in a dispersed manner in different areas of Estonia.

The stockpile has been gathered with the calculation that it is sufficient for feeding 10% of Estonia's population within one month (1800 kcal per person per day) in case of a large-scale emergency situation or an extensive evacuation. The state's stockpile of ready-made food is meant to be used as a last resort, when other possibilities for catering (including people's home stockpiles and the stocks of stores) have been exhausted.

The decision on using the ready-made food stockpiles is made by the Government of the Republic and the more specific conditions of this depend on the specific crisis situation.

Options for heating up water and food during a power cut include:

• a gas stove and a tank of liquid gas
• a wood stove
• an outdoor grill, camping stove or kerosene stove
• a fondue pot or other device that uses a candle
• a fireplace

Important! Always keep fire safety in mind when heating up food and water (especially if you use an open flame). Do not leave an open flame or fire unattended!

If the power cut is not unexpectetd, you should consider your primary needs ahead of time (e.g. store hot water in a thermos, stock up on food that does not require warming up etc.).

If you are not able to operate safely in your home during a power cut, go to your close ones or turn to the local municipality for assistance.

• Consider that the freezer stays cold for 24-48 hours.
• If possible, fill the refrigerator with food as tightly as possible as this helps to keep the food cold longer.
• Refrain from frequently opening the refrigerator and the freezer in order to maintain the temperature.
• If the power cut lasts longer than 2-4 hours, keep the perishable foods as cool as possible, e.g. put ice around the more important foods (e.g. milk, fish, meat, eggs) if possible.
• Use coolers filled with ice. If necessary, you can use the ice in the coolers for washing the dishes after it melts, or even as drinking water in an emergency.
• Throw away the food that has an unusual odour, colour or structure. If in doubt -- throw away! Keep food waste only in the place meant for it when indoors and take them out to the waste container as quickly as possible.

If there is no power, the water supply and sewage at home are usually not operational either but that depends on the specific system and building.

If you do not have drinking water reserves, water purification tablets etc at home or you have run out of them:

• follow the official announcements from the local municipality regarding getting drinking water to the residents
• as an alternative, you can also use water that is in the water heater or the tank of the toilet bowl (domestic animals can also be offered rainwater or snow melt water for drinking)
• consider whether there is a well (either a borehole or one with a bucket and a string) or a natural spring near you, allowing you to get water.

Important! It is necessary to boil water that has been taken from a natural water body or that has been stagnant for a loner period for 3-5 minutes.

Use a waste bucket for the waste and multilayered trash bags in the toilet -- it is recommended to add newspapers, sawdust, peat or other absorbent materials in the trash bag.

If possible, use an outhouse. An apartment association can order one jointly.

In order to avoid the risk of your water and heating pipes freezing, you should insulate the pipes (thermal isolation, electrical cable etc.). The danger of freezing can also be reduced by letting the water out of the pipes and circulation. If you live in an apartment building, find out who can do this in your apartment association.

The needs of every individual and family are different, but as a general rule, you should have ready enough cash to be able to pay for one week's urgent expenses.

We also recommend keeping some bills and coins in the wallet.

No, as withdrawing cash with a card requires electricity and communication services. In order to withdraw cash from a cash machine, a store or a petrol station (or to deposit cash there), it is necessary to have a bank card. The bank card, however, needs both electricity and communications to work.

To always be ready for possible power outages, we recommend:

• keep some cash in your wallet. It is always possible to pay in cash, even when card payments do not work.
• keep a week's worth of cash at home. Every family should have enough cash at home to be able to pay for one week's urgent expenses.

• If there is a danger that the power outage will be longer -- review your cash stocks and consider what you will be needing money for. Spend only when it is urgently necessary.
• Coins are also a means of payment. The piggy bank might contain enough to make small purchases.
• Ask for information from your bank and follow the news. There are contingency plans for when cash circulation is disrupted, and they will be announced through the press.

In case of a power outage, the goal is to keep educational institutions open at all education levels and modes.

The safety of children, students and employees of the educational institutions is of primary importance, and depending on the situation, the decision on going to short term distance learning is made by each educational institution themselves in cooperation with the owner of the educational institution (a local government, the state, or a private owner).

Educational institutions have been asked to consider ahead of time the procedures for preparing for possible outages and for acting during them.

Ensuring the safety and notifying the parents of the situation that has emerged is of primary importance in the case of kindergartens and childcare facilities. If the power outage is known ahead of time, there will be a request to keep the child at home if possible (but the facility has to remain open even if there is a power outage).

• Students and parents are informed by the educational institution.
• The educational institution is informed by the owner of the educational institution who can ask for advice from the Ministry of Education and Research if necessary.

Yes, the state has a stockpile of critically important medicines (including over the counter and prescription medicines sold at pharmacies, veterinary medicines), vaccines, medical devices and accessories, and personal protective equipment.

More information: Estonian Stockpiling Agency.

Estonian hospitals have taken various measures to ensure the provision of vital services and the accessibility of emergency aid even during unexpected outages. Additionally, the hospitals also belong to the first, or most important, group of power consumers, which means that in a situation where it is necessary to restrict or rotate consumption in the country, the hospitals will not be switched off from the power supply.

Having power generators ensures that the hospitals have autonomous power supply for at least 16-72 hours. If necessary, the delivery of additional fuel for the generators will be organised from the petrol stations that are guaranteed to keep issuing fuel during a general power outage.

The hospital network of Estonia consists of:

Regional hospitals:

• North Estonia Medical Centre:
• Tartu University Hospital;
• Tallinn Children's Hospital.

Central hospitals:

• Tallinn East Central Hospital;
• West Tallinn Central Hospital;
• Ida-Viru Central Hospital;
• Pärnu Hospital;
• Järvamaa Hospital;
• Kuressaare Hospital;
• Läänemaa Hospital;
• Rakvere Hospital;
• South Estonian Hospital;
• Narva Hospital;
• Viljandi Hospital;
• Valga Hospital;
• Hiiumaa Hospital;
• Põlva Hospital;
• Raplamaa Hospital.

Local hospital:

• Jõgeva Hospital.

Rehabilitation hospital:

• Haapsalu Neurological Rehabilitation Centre.

Estonian hospitals have taken up different measures to ensure the provision of vital services and access to urgent care even during unexpected power outages.

The Health Board invested €13.2 in 2023 to ensure the resilience of hospitals during power outages. For this end, they procured power generators, the working order of which is checked regularly. The main priority is ensuring the operability of all processes and activities necessary for the provision of vital services.

Hospitals have been provided with autonomous power supply in order to ensure the provision of vital services. In case of a power outage, the hospitals decide on their own whether and to what extent the treatments will be reorganised. Rules on visitation are set independently by each hospital but the restrictions are usually more likely to be connected to the infectious diseases season which is not directly affected by a possible power outage.

The family health centres are usually not covered with power generators which means that their business continuity is disrupted. If a family physician cannot work and the matter requires urgent care or an acute chronic issue has exacerbated, you must turn to an emergency medicine department or contact the emergency number 112.

Follow the recommendations of your family doctor and the information on whether she can be reached during a power outage and how her activities are organised. Take into account that the communications (phone lines, web page) can also be disrupted during a power outage. The Health Board is also distributing information in case of a power outage.

If the work of the family physician is temporarily disrupted because of a power outage, it is possible that planned appointments could be postponed as well, or there might be an option to consult over the telephone. The reception of patients is reorganised according to the business continuity plans of the family health centre. Additionally, it is possible to contact the Family Doctors' Advice Line 1220, if necessary.

General information is given by the Family Doctors' Advice Line 1220. With an urgent health issue, turn to an emergency medicine department of a hospital or call the emergency number 112. The accessibility of the Emergency Response Centre is ensured during a power outage, but a long-term power outage might also disrupt general telephone communications.

Yes, it is highly probable that health data is nicely accessible. The business continuity of the Health Information System (the Health Portal), the Social Protection Information System and other information system managed by the Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre is ensured with generators in case of a power outage, and secured with a supply of fuel in accordance with the length of the outage.

If a pharmacy has the possibility to use a power generator, it can also continue to issue medicines during a power outage. If there is no power, it is possible to sell over-the-counter medicines for cash, provided that the pharmacy is prepared for that.

Selling prescription medicines requires electricity and an internet connection, in order to see the prescriptions at the prescription centre and register the sales. The Estonian Health Insurance Fund has the capability to ensure the operability of the prescription centre and the possibility to check health insurance status even during a power outage.

If it not possible to issue an electronic prescription, the family health centres can also issue paper prescriptions.

It is recommended to keep one month's stock of prescription medicines at home.

Still, it is presumed that the necessary systems will stay operational and pharmacies will not stop issuing medicines.

Care homes are aware of possible power outages and have prepared for possible outages. The state has prepared for the event, so that there would be no outages or that they would be as short as possible. Possible reorganisation of the work of a care home will be notified but currently a situation where you need to remove your close ones from the care home is not foreseen. On location, the care homes are also receiving assistance from the local government, if necessary.

Medical rehabilitation clinics are a part of the hospital system and, if necessary, it is possible to redistribute the patients if a place does not have a power generator and it disturbs normal operations (heating, catering etc.).

The State Agency of Medicines recommends keeping at least one month's stocks of the family's prescription medicines in the medicine cabinet at home.

Additionally, the home should have stocks of the following things necessary for the household for one week:

• antipyretics and painkillers
• allergy medicines
• medicines for digestive problems
• cold medicines
• first aid, including for treating burns.

In a crisis situation, the local municipalities use the resilience centres to distribute necessary information and practical advice to the residents. The centres offer essential services, including organising food, drinking water, hygiene products and communication devices. There is a place in the center where it is possible to turn to, should there be a widespread power and water outage, food stuffs crisis, or other crises that affect the residents on a wider scale.

The resilience centre is located at a place where people are used to going in regular life as well, e.g. the premises of the city/rural municipality government, the library, the cultural centre, community centre etc. Find out from your local municipality ahead of time where the resilience centre near you is located.

This depends on the specific situation and the nature/capabilities of the resilience centre. If it is a building that has the space and the possibilities to offer shelter or a place to sleep, and if the local municipality (KOV) finds that they can offer this to the residents in a crisis situation, then yes.

If necessary, the KOV will direct the residents to an evacuation location or other location designated for overnight stay.

The local municipality (KOV) is responsible for making the residents aware of where the resilience centre is and is distributing information in a channel most suitable for the situation (e.g. web page, social media, the newspaper of the city/rural municipality, a notice board etc.).

The resilience centre is located at a place where people are used to going during regular times as well, e.g. the premises of the city/rural municipality government, the library, the cultural centre, the community centre etc.

The local municipalities (KOV) have made different decisions -- some want to disclose the locations, some don't. The Rescue Board has recommended that those who have agreed to disclose the locations of their resilience centres publish the information to their residents in their own information channels -- on the web page of the local municipality, in social media, in paper publications etc.

If the local municipality decides to open a resilience centre, it will notify the residents of this.

The Rescue Board has the information about all resilience centres, is keeping the information up to date and is updating it regularly.