Why is my house the only one without power?

If your neighbours still have power but you do not, the fault may be in your own home’s electrical installation, not the street network. Look at whether nearby homes are on and check your network provider’s outage information. If it looks like your home, contact a licensed electrician. If lines are down or sparking, stay clear and call 000.

What does it mean if my neighbours still have power?

The Queensland Government’s guidance for public housing tenants says that if neighbours still have power, the problem could be with your electrical installation. That fits what most electricians see: a street-wide outage affects many homes at once, while a single-property outage often points to the wiring, equipment or supply connection at that one property.

It is not a guarantee, though. Sometimes a fault affects just one home on the network side, such as a damaged service line. That is why it helps to gather a few facts before deciding who to call.

How can I tell whether it is the network or my home?

You can learn a lot just by looking and checking official information.

• Look out the window to see whether neighbouring houses and streetlights have power.
• Check your network provider’s outage information, which is usually available online or by phone. In much of south-east Queensland the network provider is Energex, but check which one serves your address.
• Notice whether the whole home is without power or only some rooms.

If the outage is listed or your neighbours are affected, report it to your network provider’s faults line. If it is clearly only your home, it is time to call a licensed electrician.

Who looks after what?

The network provider looks after the poles, wires and equipment that bring power to your area. The wiring and equipment inside your property is your responsibility, and fault-finding on it is electrical work.

In Queensland, electrical work must be done by a licensed electrician, and the Electrical Safety Office Queensland is the regulator. That means you should not open the switchboard or meter box or try to diagnose the installation yourself. If you rent, tell your landlord or agent as soon as you can so they can arrange a licensed electrician.

What if I have solar or a battery?

Tell the electrician. Solar panels can keep producing power whenever light reaches them, and standard grid-connected systems are designed to shut down in a blackout. Solar and battery equipment can make a fault harder to read, and it should only be handled by a licensed professional.