Your 5-Minute Pre-Storm Checklist

Storms rarely arrive without warning. A day or even a few hours of notice is enough to get your home ready, and most of it takes less time than making a cup of coffee.

We asked Phil, one of our service technicians, what he wishes every homeowner did before a storm. Here’s his five-minute checklist.

1. Top off your batteryOpen the Savant app and check your battery’s charge. If Storm Watch is available on your system, make sure it’s turned on. It charges your batteries ahead of severe weather, so you start the outage with as much stored power as possible.
2. Review what stays onYour battery lasts longer when it only powers what matters. Take a minute to check which circuits are set as essential. For most families, that means the fridge, heat, Wi-Fi, security and a few lights. If something on the list can wait, like a guest room or a second freezer, take it off for now.
3. Make sure you can reach your home from your phoneConfirm you’re logged in to the Savant app and that notifications are turned on. Charge your phone, too. If the power goes out while you’re away, you’ll get alerts and can see what’s running.
4. Keep your network on backupYour app, cameras and remote access all depend on your internet connection. Make sure your modem and router are on a backed-up circuit, and know where they are in case they need a restart.
5. Know who to callSave our service number in your phone: (301) 656-2548. If something needs a second look after the storm, our members get priority scheduling, with visits as soon as the same day.

“Most of the outage calls I get could have been avoided with five minutes of prep the day before.”
— Phil Gele, Service Technician at Bethesda Systems

After the storm

If something isn’t working once the power comes back, check your breaker panel first, then restart your router. If that doesn’t fix it, give us a call and we’ll take it from there.

Not sure your home is storm-ready? Schedule a pre-storm system check with our team, and we’ll make sure your battery, circuits and network are set up the way you need them.