Now that the brunt of the Texas winter storm has passed, local officials and federal regulators will be investigating a major power grid failure in the nation's largest energy-producing state But it is not only the authorities who will conduct an after-the-fact investigation, but homeowners as well

After days of fluctuating electricity and no running water, one device proved critical in making sure my devices were safe and connected to the outside world

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), also known as a battery backup, is essentially a power strip with a large battery inside This device protects electronic equipment from irregular electrical spikes and power outages Not only does it protect against surges, but in the unlikely event of a power outage, the device will not shut down immediately because the battery will be activated

A UPS is especially helpful if you are doing something important with your computer It can save your job, tighten up your computer, and give you precious minutes to safely unplug Surge protection also protects critical components such as the power supply, processor, and graphics card

On the first day of the winter storm, my family and I lost power for over 30 hours When power was restored, I quickly charged my phone and refilled my battery bank However, I knew the power would be out again I decided to unplug the UPS from my PC and game console and instead plug both into the modem and router That night, the power went out, but thanks to the UPS, my Internet connection was extended for an hour

That extra time allowed us to check the news and keep track of family and friends who were also dealing with freezing rain around the state Of course, a more robust UPS would have kept us browsing even longer

My recommendation to anyone with a lot of expensive electronics is to make sure everything is connected to a UPS Not only will this keep your devices safe, but it will also prevent data loss

UPSs are not cheap, but they are worth it Many UPSs start at about $60 and go up in price depending on battery capacity Not only that, but quality varies as well; it is important to buy from a reputable brand like APC or CyberPower I use an APC Back-UPS ES 550, but a newer model, the APC 550UA, is available on Amazon for $79 If you visit Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, you can easily find offices that sell older used UPSs at discount prices Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace I have even found them for as low as $20 The problem is that most of these tend not to include batteries

Still, there are several companies that manufacture UPS batteries I personally order my batteries from ExpertPower The company makes good quality batteries and offers excellent customer service; ExpertPower batteries are available on Amazon and are Prime eligible, but I order directly from them

Of course, UPS should not be at the top of my list of things to buy for emergencies Having warm clothes, water, and fresh food should be at the top of the list Also, if you live in an area affected by major climate change, having a generator is not a bad idea But if you're someone who values electronics, making sure everything is connected to a UPS will ensure that you're covered