For Southern California Edison households with pets, blackout planning should cover both powered equipment and care that can continue without electricity. A home battery may support selected outlets, but a working light does not confirm that a feeder, water fountain or temperature-control system has backup.
A suitable solar-plus-battery PPA can help eligible homeowners add useful backup without an upfront equipment purchase. Make pet-care needs explicit when deciding which circuits and loads the proposal should support.
Prepare supplies that do not depend on an outlet
SCE's emergency-preparedness guidance includes family pets among the household needs to consider when assembling supplies.
The CDC's pet disaster-kit checklist includes food, water, dishes, a manual can opener, feeding instructions, veterinary records, identification and an appropriately sized carrier. Ask your veterinarian to help tailor the kit to your animals.
For a household using an electric feeder or fountain, our practical suggestion is to keep accessible food, drinking water and ordinary bowls alongside the equipment plan. Review the device's own instructions for what happens if external power or internet service stops. Do not assume that every product has internal batteries, retains its schedule or operates identically offline.
Walk through the pet-care equipment with the installer
Create a short list of the devices you actually rely on. For each, record its model, outlet location and electrical requirements. Ask the installer to confirm which are on supported backup circuits and whether any extra electrical work is included.
Keep small accessories separate from larger loads. A proposal that supports a fountain outlet does not automatically include the air conditioner serving the room. For animals with particular environmental or medical needs, obtain care instructions from your veterinarian and ask the installer separately whether the required equipment can be supported.
As a hypothetical energy example, suppose a small device draws a steady 10 watts for 12 hours. It would use 0.12 kWh: 10 × 12 ÷ 1,000. That is an arithmetic assumption, not a feeder or fountain specification. Add the rest of the household's demand before estimating battery duration; do not size a system from one accessory alone.
General battery guidance explains that supported circuits, stored energy and household demand affect backup duration. Ordinary grid-tied solar alone generally cannot power the home during an outage. Recharging requires compatible backup equipment and suitable sunlight, and high-demand appliances must remain within the system's power limits.
Assign a person as well as a power source
Our suggested household checklist is:
- Decide who checks food, water and equipment operation during an interruption.
- Keep written feeding instructions and veterinary contacts available to that person.
- Arrange a backup caregiver if you are away.
- Keep transport supplies accessible and confirm a suitable alternative place for the animals if home conditions cannot be maintained.
For aquarium-specific electrical planning, see our aquarium battery-backup guide. Backup equipment does not replace observation and care.
Check SCE status and the PPA scope
Use SCE's official outage-status page for live, address-specific information. As of October 31, 2026, at 8:03 p.m. Pacific, this is preparedness guidance, not a report of a verified current blackout or scheduled shutoff.
The CPUC solar guide explains provider ownership and ongoing PPA payments. Confirm no-upfront qualification, rate, escalator, term, battery ownership, supported circuits, installation charges, maintenance and transfer terms, plus remaining utility charges. No upfront purchase does not mean free electricity, guaranteed savings or unlimited backup.
Bring your pet-care equipment list and household priorities to a West Coast Alternatives consultation for a solar-plus-battery proposal with clear capabilities and support responsibilities.