Like Pit said, you need to check their tightness every once in awhile. Also they can be left on 24/7. I have one on my roach bin and its fine. Used to have one on my JCP too. Other than it being loose and arcing like Pit said, I cant see what else happened. As for no power, cant you just go to your house fuse panel and flip the breaker back on for that room/section of the house? If not, then my advice is see if any of your local pet shops have UniHeat heat packs or worst case, get regular hand warmers and stuff them inside a sock and wrap it up as those tend to get hot. Also if you still have hot water, can fill plastic bottles with warm water and put them in the cage. Or depending how long the power is out, stuff the snake in your shirt and hang out lol.