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    When power goes out

    While we do everything possible to keep the power on, sometimes power outages happen, particularly during severe weather.

    When restoring power safety is our priority - both your safety and the safety of our staff. While our crews try to restore your power as quickly as possible, their first responsibility is to make the network safe.

    Outage Finder map
    Check for outages

    If your power goes out

    • From the safety of your own home, look out the window or contact neighbours to check if the power outage is affecting only your property or is more widespread.
    • If widespread, go to our Outage Finder for updates on the power interruption and when we expect to have power restored.
    • If you're experiencing dull or flickering lights, 'brown out', low voltage or partial supply, don’t touch your switchboard or anything metal in your home.  If it’s possible to easily access power points, turn off and unplug appliances. Call us immediately on 13 16 70, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    • If you experience tingles or shocks from an electrical appliance or water taps, call us immediately on 13 16 70, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may need to call a licensed electrical contractor to check your wiring.
    • If you can see or hear something that could help identify the problem, like a loud bang, fallen or low hanging powerlines, stay well clear and contact us immediately on 13 22 96, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your information will often assist our emergency crews locate the issue and restore power faster.
    • Turn off and unplug sensitive electrical appliances such as televisions, computer equipment etc. If you were cooking with an electric oven and/or stove hotplates when power was lost, be sure to switch them off because you don’t want them turning back on unattended when supply is restored.
    • Leave a light on so you’ll know when power is back on.

    Power outages and the nbn

    If you are connected to the National Broadband Network (nbn), be aware if your power is interrupted, your telephone and internet services over the nbn™ access network are unlikely to work.

    Make sure you have a plan B with a fully charged mobile phone and portable mobile phone charger.

    This also applies to personal medical alarms. Most medical alarms are connected to the nbn through a phone landline, so if you have a black out, the landline, internet services and medical alarms will not work.

    If you or anyone in your family has a medical alarm, contact nbn™ to check if the alarm is registered and ask about battery backup.

    More information is available on the nbn website.