Protect your Electronics from Power Surges

Power surges often occur during thunderstorms and can overload or short out the electronics in your home. You can reduce the risk of power surge damage to your electronics by using proper point-of-use and whole-house surge protectors or by simply unplugging devices during a storm or power outage.

Before purchasing or installing a surge protection device, it’s important to research how to best meet your home’s needs.

• Point-of-use surge protectors look similar to power strips, and are the most common type of surge protector. However, not all power strips offer surge protection, so read the product label. Surge protectors will wear out.

• Whole-house or service entrance surge protectors can be installed on your main electrical panel or at the base of your electric meter. Whole-house surge protectors only offer protection from surges entering through your home’s electric lines, not through telephone lines or TV/satellite dish cable.

View an infographic about surge protection.