If my neighbors have power, can it still be a utility outage?

Rarely. Because neighboring homes typically share the same lines and transformer, lit neighbors mean the grid is feeding your street. The most likely problem is on your service drop, meter, or panel. The one exception is if you are on a separate transformer or feed, which an electrician or your utility can confirm.

How do I know if it's my meter or my panel?

Look at the meter. If its display is dark or it is visibly damaged while neighbors' meters work, the issue is at the meter or service drop — call the utility. If the meter is lit and working but no power reaches your panel or breakers, the issue is on your side — call an electrician.

Should I pull the meter myself?

No. Never remove or tamper with the meter. It is utility property, it is often sealed, and the connections behind it remain live and dangerous even when your home is dark. Removing it can cause serious injury and may be illegal. Let the utility handle the meter.

My main breaker keeps tripping the moment I reset it — now what?

Stop resetting it. A main breaker that trips instantly is detecting a serious fault, and repeated resets can damage equipment or create a fire risk. Leave it off and call a licensed electrician to find the fault before restoring power.

Can an electrician restore my power tonight?

If the fault is inside your home (panel, main breaker, branch circuit), a licensed electrician can usually diagnose and often repair it during the visit. If the problem is the utility's service line or meter, the electrician will identify that and you will need the utility to restore it.

Neighbors Have Power But I Don't — What It Means

When your neighbors have power but you don't, it is one of the clearest signals in home electrical troubleshooting: the fault is almost never a utility-wide outage. Power companies feed entire blocks from the same lines, so if surrounding homes are lit, the grid is delivering electricity to your street. The break is somewhere between the utility's last shared connection and your home — on your service drop, at your meter, or inside your panel. Here is how to narrow it down safely.

Quick check: is the problem inside your home?

Answer a few questions to narrow it down. The more of these that apply, the more likely the issue is on your side of the meter.

Do your neighbors still have power?
Is only part of your home affected?
Does a breaker keep tripping repeatedly?
Are your lights flickering or dimming?
Did it start right after using an appliance?
Any burning smell, sparks, or smoke?

First, check for danger

If you notice any of these, do not investigate further — leave the area and call 911 and your utility:

- A power line down, sagging, or touching trees or the ground near your home.

- Sparks, arcing, buzzing, or a burning smell from the meter, mast, or panel.

- Smoke, scorch marks, or heat at the panel or any outlet.

- Water around electrical equipment.

Why it is your side, not the grid

Residential streets are wired so that many homes share the same transformer and distribution lines. A genuine utility outage would knock out your neighbors too. When only your home goes dark, the electricity is reaching your street but not getting through your own service path. The usual culprits, from the street inward, are: a damaged service-drop line to your house, a failed or pulled meter, a tripped main breaker, a loose main connection, or a fault on your panel.

What you can safely check yourself

- Look at your meter. Is its display dark while neighbors' meters are lit? That points to the service drop or meter — a utility matter.

- Open your panel and check the main breaker. If tripped, switch it fully off, then on. If it holds, you may be back in business.

- Check individual branch breakers for any that are tripped, and reset them.

- Note whether the whole house is dark or only part of it. Partial loss suggests one lost 120-volt leg or a single circuit.

Who to call

Call your utility if the meter is dark or damaged, or there is visible damage on the line between the pole and your home — that equipment is theirs.

Call a licensed electrician if the meter has power but your panel does not, the main breaker won't stay set, or you have warm equipment, repeated trips, or burning smells inside. The panel and home wiring are the homeowner's responsibility, and that is the electrician's domain.

Frequently asked questions

If my neighbors have power, can it still be a utility outage?: Rarely. Because neighboring homes typically share the same lines and transformer, lit neighbors mean the grid is feeding your street. The most likely problem is on your service drop, meter, or panel. The one exception is if you are on a separate transformer or feed, which an electrician or your utility can confirm.
How do I know if it's my meter or my panel?: Look at the meter. If its display is dark or it is visibly damaged while neighbors' meters work, the issue is at the meter or service drop — call the utility. If the meter is lit and working but no power reaches your panel or breakers, the issue is on your side — call an electrician.
Should I pull the meter myself?: No. Never remove or tamper with the meter. It is utility property, it is often sealed, and the connections behind it remain live and dangerous even when your home is dark. Removing it can cause serious injury and may be illegal. Let the utility handle the meter.
My main breaker keeps tripping the moment I reset it — now what?: Stop resetting it. A main breaker that trips instantly is detecting a serious fault, and repeated resets can damage equipment or create a fire risk. Leave it off and call a licensed electrician to find the fault before restoring power.
Can an electrician restore my power tonight?: If the fault is inside your home (panel, main breaker, branch circuit), a licensed electrician can usually diagnose and often repair it during the visit. If the problem is the utility's service line or meter, the electrician will identify that and you will need the utility to restore it.