How we restore power
When the power goes out, our crews work quickly and safely to restore electricity to homes, businesses and essential services. Our priority is always to keep the community safe while restoring power as soon as possible.
Why outages happen
Power outages can occur for a variety of reasons, including equipment faults, emergency repairs, planned maintenance, severe weather, load shedding, or electrical issues at your property. These events can affect different parts of the network in different ways, which is why restoration times can vary.
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How we prioritise our work
During major events like storms and floods, we focus on restoring power in the following order:
- Life-threatening hazards
- Large outages affecting many customers
- Smaller, localised outages.
We understand how challenging it is to be without power, and we appreciate your patience while our crews work through each job safely.
How we restore power
Learn how power is restored when extreme weather causes a power outage, and how you can stay informed and aware of what’s happening.
We follow a coordinated process to identify the cause of the outage and restore power safely. Here's what happens behind the scenes:
We clear hazards
If there are fallen powerlines or damaged equipment, our crews secure the area first. Keeping the community safe is always our top priority.
Crews are assigned
We dispatch the right team based on the type of fault and the equipment involved.
Repairs completed
Our crews repair the fault and carry out safety checks before restoring power.
Power restored
Once the network is safe and stable, we switch the power back on.
How communities recover after extreme weather
After storms, floods and bushfires, restoring power safely depends on many people working together. This short video shows how your actions can support the wider recovery effort and help restore power sooner.
Check current outages
Check for any known outages in your area and get updates on when power may return.
Report a power outage
Report a power outage, partial loss of power, flickering lights, or loss of hot water.
Report other issues
Report issues with poles, powerlines, streetlights, trees near wires or graffiti on Ausgrid assets.
Claiming for loss or damage after extreme weather
Extreme weather can cause damage to homes, belongings and the electricity network, and knowing who to contact first can save you time and stress. Learn what Ausgrid can help with, what your insurer handles, and how to find the right pathway if you need to make a claim.