A Murrieta homeowner seeing “Backup Switch Lockout” in the Tesla app should contact the installer to schedule a site visit. This equipment alert is different from a notice that Southern California Edison has interrupted neighborhood service. Keep both the household backup plan and the utility-status check in view.
This is evergreen guidance for homes equipped with a Tesla Backup Switch, based on manufacturer information checked October 17, 2026. It does not announce a current Murrieta outage or suggest that every Powerwall installation uses this equipment.
Understand the specific alert
Tesla’s system-alert guide says Backup Switch Lockout follows repeated high-temperature detections at the socket facing the home. The system remains off-grid to protect itself from potential damage, and Tesla directs the owner to arrange an installer visit.
The similarly named “Backup Switch Fault” describes a different status: the system goes off-grid after a high-temperature detection and can reconnect automatically within 30 minutes of the event if the socket temperature decreases. Tesla also directs owners to the installer for assistance.
Do not apply that conditional reconnection timing to a lockout. The exact alert wording matters. A lockout is not a prompt to bypass the protective equipment or repeatedly force reconnection.
Check SCE separately
The City of Murrieta’s archived PSPS notice identifies SCE as the utility issuing local shutoff information. That historical notice is not a current warning. For current information, use your service address in SCE’s Outage Center.
A home operating off-grid does not, by itself, prove a wider utility outage. Likewise, a neighborhood restoration update does not establish that an individual equipment lockout has been resolved. Give the installer the alert text and the utility information as separate observations.
Prepare a useful service record
Our suggested service checklist is:
- Save a screenshot showing the complete alert and time.
- Note which household circuits currently have power.
- Record the displayed battery charge and any additional alerts.
- Provide the equipment model information and your service contact details.
- Ask who will coordinate any required work with the utility and when you should expect an update.
For example, suppose SCE shows service restored while your app still displays lockout. Report both facts rather than assuming the utility map or the battery display must be wrong. This is a hypothetical troubleshooting conversation, not a diagnosis of your equipment.
Keep installer contact information available to other authorized household members. Our Murrieta app-access guide covers preparing that access before an interruption.
Keep the household plan within battery limits
PG&E’s general battery guidance explains that backed-up circuits, available energy and household demand limit operation. Those equipment principles also matter at an SCE home. Reduce nonessential demand while relying on finite stored energy, and use your household fallback plan when essential needs cannot be met.
Ordinary grid-tied solar alone generally does not supply outage power. Solar recharging requires suitable sunlight and compatible, operational backup equipment. A displayed charge percentage does not guarantee a particular runtime or successful reconnection.
Include service responsibilities in a PPA
A qualifying no-upfront solar-plus-battery PPA can help eligible homeowners access generation and backup equipment without an upfront purchase. Ask the provider to identify the installer contact, maintenance responsibilities and how service issues are handled under the actual agreement.
The CPUC solar guide explains provider ownership and ongoing PPA electricity payments. Review the rate, escalator, term, battery charges, maintenance and transfer provisions, plus remaining utility costs. Eligibility and equipment availability require confirmation; no-upfront terms do not promise free electricity, guaranteed savings or uninterrupted backup.
Bring your backup priorities and service questions to a West Coast Alternatives consultation. For an active equipment alert, contact your installer directly.