When you plug something in at home, you expect the receptacle (aka outlet) to have power. If it doesn’t, you probably know to check and reset the circuit breaker. But what if the breaker didn’t trip?

Electricity is crucial for the operation of most modern homes. It allows you to cook on electric stoves, store food in electric refrigerators, and use countless electrical devices, like computers or ...

The hair dryer routinely trips the breaker and kills power to the second floor. The kitchen lights dim when you run the microwave. The air conditioner can only cool one room at a time on a sweltering ...

The first sign is silence. The fridge quits its tiny opera. The Wi-Fi blinks a farewell. Somewhere, a neighbor yells, “Is it just me?” Nope. The lights are out, but this is not the apocalypse; it’s ...