In an emergency

Fallen power lines and poles are very dangerous. They can be damaged by fallen trees, lightning strikes, car accidents, vandalism, fires, birds or other animals and flying debris during high winds. Keep away from damaged lines and report hazards online.

Report fallen wires and poles online.

Electrical fires may be caused by electrical system failures and appliance defects, but many are also caused by the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, and overloaded circuits and extension cords.

Ausgrid advises that customers arrange for regular safety checks, especially where old wiring has deteriorated and become unsafe. This also applies when purchasing an existing premise where it is important to have an electrical safety check of the installation. This is to ensure there is no faulty wiring due to deterioration or defective workmanship.

In the event of an electrical fire, never throw water or use a water based extinguisher. Call Emergency 000 and if possible, turn off the electricity to the building at the main switch.

People who are in contact with an electrical source are themselves conductors of electricity until the power is turned off. Do not attempt to touch or rescue a person until the power has been cut off and the situation has been made safe.

In the event of an electric shock:

•  If there has been an injury, ring an ambulance on 000 or 112 (from mobile phones only)
•  Phone Ausgrid on 13 13 88
•  If it is safe to do so, turn off the power and give the patient first aid.
•  Do not touch burns, break blisters or remove burned clothing
•  Always seek medical advice after an electric shock

• In the event of a unplanned power outage check the power outage map
• If Ausgrid knows about a power outage in your area, the cause and estimated restoration time of an outage will be displayed on the map along with an orange outline indicating the areas without power
• If no outage shows you can report an outage on the 'Report Outages tab' of the power outage map
• Planned power outages are scheduled interruptions to your power supply. These display on the map as blue icons.