What causes delays in getting the power back on?
Severe weather events
Severe weather events can cause strong winds, lightning, flooding and fires. This can disrupt supply to large areas of our network very quickly, cutting power to thousands of homes and businesses.
If the severe weather is ongoing, this means:
- a fault can get worse while we’re repairing it
- power outages can be impacted by larger outages nearby and become more complex to repair
- your property can be impacted by more than one outage, so our crew need to repair more than one part of the network to get your power back on.
Copper theft
Copper theft is a growing issue across our network. It can leave communities without power and create serious safety risks for anyone nearby. Copper helps us safely distribute electricity across our network. When it’s stolen or damaged, power supply can be immediately interrupted and leave entire streets or communities without power.
Getting the power back on after copper theft isn’t always easy. We need to:
- make sure the site is safe before any repair work begins
- assess the full extent of the damage
- repair or rebuild damaged assets – this sometimes needs specialist crews or equipment that can take time to arrive.
This means it can take longer than other types of outages to get the power back on.
We’re improving security on our assets and will keep customers updated when outages are caused by copper theft. What you can do:
- Stay away from any damaged or exposed electrical equipment.
- Never touch or attempt to investigate or fix damaged equipment.
- Report any damage or suspicious activity around our assets on 13 17 99.
Safety hazards
Safety is our number one priority. Our crew always do a safety assessment when they get to a site. Sometimes, accessing the site takes longer than expected due to difficult terrain, fallen trees or flooded areas. In dangerous situations we often work alongside emergency services.
If we find asbestos, we need to follow certain procedures to keep our crew safe. Weather conditions can also impact visibility, making it unsafe for work to continue. In these cases, our crew will need to wait for conditions to get better before they can continue.
Restoring essential services
Power outages to essential services (like hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies) and infrastructure (like water treatment plants or telecommunications towers) are prioritised. This way, the community can continue to rely on these facilities while we work on repairing and restoring the rest of the network.
Fixing the largest outages first
We attend to jobs that will help the greatest number of customers first. The number of customers who are without power depends on where the fault is. If a large transmission line goes down, thousands of customers will be without power.
If a piece of bark gets stuck on a line connected to a house, it will only affect the power supply of that house. Our crew will attend to the distribution line fault first, so that more people can get their power back on sooner.
Waiting for specialised resources
Before we can repair damaged parts of the network, we may need to wait for a specialist team to clear fallen trees and branches around the site or a construction crew to bring specific equipment or materials to do the repairs.
Outage restored but still no power?
Even after restoring an outage in your area, individual properties can sometimes still be without power. This can be due to a variety of reasons, including safety switches tripping and/or localised damage. It can also be common for your property’s power to not restart automatically. For more information, visit Outage restored but still no power?
How to stay updated
Outage Tracker
Outage Tracker shows information about current planned and unplanned outages in our electricity distribution network. This includes outage locations, statuses and the estimated time the power will be back on.
If you can’t find your outage by searching your address you can report it online or call us on 13 17 99.
SMS and email notifications
We get your phone and email details from your electricity retailer (the company that sends you your electricity bills).
If your power goes out, we will send you an SMS and/or email if we have your details. To change how you get unplanned outage updates, see Manage your outage notifications.
Social media updates
We often post extra information on our Facebook, including photos from our crews in the field, during large unplanned outage events. Follow us and your local council’s social media pages for important updates or potential relief centres near you.
