The main electrical panel in your home – also called a service panel, breaker panel, circuit breaker box or load center – distributes incoming power from MidAmerican Energy’s electric grid to the circuits throughout your home. It’s important to know where your panel is located and ensure it’s always accessible so you can turn off your power in an emergency or restore circuits when needed. Panels are typically located in a home’s basement, utility closet or garage.

An electrical panel contains circuit breakers or fuses that automatically stop the flow of electrical current to circuits and appliances. This safety mechanism helps avoid the risk of a shock hazard or electrical fire if there’s a problem.

If your electrical panel has a main switch, which is usually located at the top of the main panel, use it to cut off all power before changing a circuit breaker, or in case of an electrical fire, shock or emergency that requires turning off your electricity.

If your panel doesn’t have a main switch, simply turn off all individual circuit breakers to cut power to the home.

If you need to turn off power only to a single circuit, use a voltage tester on the outlets powered by that circuit to make sure the power is truly off.

If you frequently experience a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse, it’s likely that a circuit is overloaded or that something is wrong. Consult a licensed professional electrician for assistance if you suspect there’s an issue with your home’s electrical panel, circuit breakers or wiring.