Project Zomboid What to Do When the Power Shuts Off

One of the most challenging missions in Project Zomboid is dealing with the electric outage, which can leave you in complete darkness and vulnerable to zombie attacks.

Knowing what to do when you run out of electricity can be a game-changer, so read further to know what to do when the power shuts off in Project Zomboid.

Recommended Read: How to Use a Generator in Project Zomboid

When the power shuts off in Project Zomboid, you must find and connect the generators immediately. Also, collect as much water and non-perishable food as possible. Some of the best non-perishable food are beef jerky, chocolate, chips, butter, and honey.

Table of Contents

When Does The Power Shut Off?

In Project Zomboid, a power outage is a randomized event, and there is no specific day or time when it occurs.

A day without electricity can occur between 0 and 30 days. The default time of electricity shut-off may be set to 14 days, which means if you reach 14-30 days in game-time, you need a power backup.

If you tune in to the emergency broadcast radio, it may announce when the electricity will be shut off, which will help you collect items or schedule your missions.

If you aren’t ready to face this disaster, you can set the day you want the electricity to shut off according to your liking.

Simply play the game with Sandbox Mode, then select your desired option in the “Electricity Shutoff” setting in the World category before starting your playthrough.

What To Do When The Power Shuts Off in Project Zomboid

If the power goes out, you’ll need a flashlight or torches to stay visible. However, they are temporary and drainable.

Find and Connect The Generator

The lack of electricity will turn off all the lights, ovens, refrigerators, and gas pumps.

A generator is an alternative source of power in Project Zomboid. You can find it in stores and warehouses and carry it to where you want to power things up.

Operating the generator requires an “Electrician” job. If you do not choose Electrician as your occupation in your early game, you have to find and read the recipe magazine “How to Use Generators” to use the generator.

Place the generator outside where you want to power your devices, then connect and run it. Make sure you check the generator’s condition and fuel in advance.

Remember that the generator requires gas tanks, so we’d recommend collecting gas tanks before running it.

Reserve Water

You should handle the situation immediately, as water supplies can be shut off simultaneously with power.

When water supplies get cut off, the remaining water in sinks, toilets, and faucets is limited to 20 units, which is only double the water bottle’s capacity.

You can get water from office water dispensers if you do not own any water bottles in your inventory.

The other option is to gather rainwater using buckets or rain collector barrels. You can leave them outside and wait until they’re full. But this water must be boiled first to be safe to drink.

Last, you can get water from a nearby lake or well. But don’t forget to boil it until the “Tainted Water” icon disappears, or it will make you sick if consumed.

Reserve Non-perishable Food

Food can help you regain health and prevent you from starving to death.

If your generator already powers things up, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you may store some food to survive while looking for a generator or fighting zombies.

The refrigerator doesn’t work during an outage, so you can’t store your perishable food, such as fish, fruits, chicken, and bacon. If you keep eating them, they’ll cause sickness.

Instead, ensure you have enough non-perishable food, such as chocolate, pops, beef jerky, and butter, in your inventory. Canned food can be considered non-perishable, but only until it’s opened.

Non-perishable and canned food can be found in gas stations, convenience stores, homes, buildings, or farmhouses.

And that’s what you need to do when the power shuts off in Project Zomboid!

Have any suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.

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