Half the house lost power: what to check first, and when to call

Why it happens: two legs of power

Homes get power on two legs, each carrying about 120 volts, and together they supply 240 volt appliances such as the dryer, range and air conditioner. Breakers in the panel take their power from one leg or both. If one leg is lost anywhere between the utility transformer and the panel, every circuit on that leg goes dark together, and 240 volt appliances stop or run strangely.

The break can be at the utility's side, at a burned meter socket, in the service entrance cable, or at the main breaker.

The dangerous version: an open neutral

The neutral carries current back and keeps the two legs balanced. If it loosens or breaks, voltage stops splitting evenly. The tell-tale sign is lights on one side of the house getting brighter while others dim, or bulbs flaring when an appliance starts. High voltage on one leg can damage electronics and appliance boards quickly.

If you see that pattern, unplug sensitive electronics and call right away. This is not a problem to wait on.

What you can safely check

Look at the panel door without removing the cover. A tripped main or several tripped branch breakers can explain it; reset them once. Check whether neighbors have power, and look outside for a damaged service drop, a bent mast or a meter that looks scorched.

Do not open the panel or the meter, and stay well away from any wire that is down or sagging. If the service drop to the house is damaged, call Consumers Energy as well as an electrician.

Utility side or your side

An electrician measures voltage on both legs at the meter and at the panel. If the problem is present at the meter with the house load off, it is the utility's to fix, and we report it with the readings. After the June 2026 storms Consumers Energy ran about 700 crews to restore power, and readings that point to a leg or neutral fault at the transformer help a crew fix the right thing on the first trip.

If the voltage is good at the meter but not in the panel, the fault is on the house side: the meter socket, entrance cable or main breaker.

What the repair usually involves

A failed main breaker is replaced, or the panel if the main is no longer made for that brand. A burned meter socket is replaced after the utility pulls the meter, followed by an inspection and reconnect; our meter base repair page covers that. A loose neutral is repaired where it failed. See our partial outage repair page for how we trace each one.

After the power is back

If the house had an open neutral, check the appliances and electronics that were running during the fault. Garage door openers, furnace controls and televisions are common casualties, and some damage only shows up later. Note what was affected; it helps if you make an insurance claim.

A panel surge device will not prevent an open neutral, but a sound service connection will, which is why the repair matters more than any add-on.