Why All Idahoans Should Be Keeping a Quarter in Their Freezer

We know 23,000 Idaho Power customers that wish that they would’ve known about this lifehack sooner! 

According to Payless Power, there’s a handful of states where prolonged blackouts don’t really shock residents. When they examined the number of people affected by power outages over the last two decades, Florida came out on top. It shouldn’t surprise you that the number of hurricanes that smack the Sunshine State had something to do with that. When they examined the number of power outage events during those same 20 years, California led the way with 2,684. 

READ MORE: 9 Items Causing Your Idaho Power Bills to Skyrocket This Summer

In 2021, Texas made headlines when their power grid was absolutely crippled by three winter storms that hit in a matter of days. Their power plants and other energy generators were not able to handle freezing temperatures, causing utility companies to cut power to thousands of customers.

But you know which state isn’t mentioned at all in Payless Power’s study? Idaho. We had so few power outages per capita that we didn’t rank anywhere on any of their lists. That’s probably why so many Idahoans were completely off guard when Idaho Power started warning customers that they may have to use a “Public Safety Power Shutoff” as severe weather moved into the Treasure Valley on July 24. 

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During a PSPS, Idaho Power cuts power to certain areas during extreme weather conditions. The goal is to prevent their lines and facilities from contributing to wildfire risks. July 24 was the ninth day in a row the Boise area experienced triple digit temperatures, so customers who were in the potentially affected areas were clinging to the word may. They didn’t want to lose their air conditioning and with the outages scheduled to happen between 5 and 10 p.m., many households would be without means to cook indoors and entertainment in the evening. 

No such luck. Idaho Power cut power to 7,000 customers. At one point, the PSPS and severe weather combined led to 23,000 customers being without power. 

If you returned home to find all your clocks blinking, you probably started wondering “how long was my power out” and “is the food in the fridge and freezer still good?!

According to the CDC, food in your refrigerator should stay good for up to four hours. Perishables in your full freezer should make it 48, but if the freezer is half empty that time is cut in half. This all depends on you NOT opening the door. 

A 25 Cent Solution to Power Outages and Food Spoilage

And that’s where this viral life hack comes in handy, especially if you’ve been vacationing away from your home while an outage occurred! Simply fill a coffee cup with water and set it in your freezer. Once the water is frozen all the way through, place a quarter on top of the ice and return the mug to your freezer. 

If you come home to flashing clocks and suspect that the power may have been out for an extended period of time, open the freezer and look at the mug. If the quarter is sitting at the bottom of the mug UNDER the ice, it’s a sign that the food in your freezer thawed and then froze again AFTER the power had come back on. You should toss it just to be safe. 

If the quarter is still on top of the mug, you’re in the clear!