Holiday Power Surge: Protecting Your Home When Guests & Gadgets Arrive

The holiday season brings joy, family, and let's be honest, a lot of plugged-in devices. Between decorative lights, kitchen appliances running overtime, and visiting guests charging phones and tablets, your home’s electrical system can face more strain in November and December than any other time of the year.

At Corrigan Electric, we've been helping Kentucky and Southern Indiana families stay safe and powered through every season since 1995. Here's what you need to know about preventing holiday power surges and electrical overloads.

Why Surges Happen During the Holidays

Power surges can come from outside your home (like lightning or utility issues) or inside (like overloaded circuits or major appliances cycling on and off). During the holidays, indoor surges are more common due to:

• Increased use of small kitchen appliances (mixers, air fryers, coffee makers)

• Extra lighting (tree lights, outdoor decorations)

• Higher demand from heating systems

• Extra people charging and using electronics

This added demand can push your system past capacity, especially in older homes or those with outdated panels.

5 Ways to Protect Your Home

1. Install Whole-Home Surge Protection
A whole-house surge protector connects directly to your electrical panel and shields your entire system from both internal and external voltage spikes. It's a long-term investment that protects appliances, electronics, and peace of mind.

2. Avoid Daisy-Chaining Extension Cords
Connecting one extension cord to another is a common (and risky) habit. Use proper surge-protected power strips and avoid overloading them. If you need additional outlets, consider having Corrigan install dedicated circuits.

3. Upgrade Your Electrical Panel if Needed
If your home still has an old fuse box or a panel that trips frequently, it may not handle modern electrical demands. Corrigan Electric can inspect your system and provide safe, code-compliant upgrade options.

4. Spread Out Appliance Usage
Don't run the oven, dishwasher, microwave, and space heaters all at once. Stagger usage to reduce demand spikes.

5. Schedule a Pre-Holiday Electrical Checkup
Our licensed electricians can review your home's wiring, outlets, and panel to make sure everything is ready for holiday guests and gadgets. It's a small step that can prevent big problems.

Bonus Tip: Protect Your Generator

If you have a standby generator, make sure it's serviced and ready before winter. Corrigan Electric is a certified dealer for Briggs & Stratton and Generac systems and can perform preventative maintenance that keeps your backup power reliable.

Holiday cheer shouldn't come with circuit overloads. Let Corrigan Electric help you enjoy a safer, more powered holiday season.

You know us at Corrigan, give us a call! Your Electrician.

Visit CorriganElectric.com