Electrical What do I do in a Brisbane power outage?
In a power outage, check whether it is street-wide, report it to your network provider and stay clear of fallen lines; call 000 if life is at risk.
In a power outage, find out whether it is street-wide by looking at neighbouring homes and your network provider’s outage information, and report faults to your network provider’s faults line. Stay well clear of fallen powerlines and call 000 if anyone is in danger. If only your home is affected, contact a licensed electrician.
How do I find out if it is a wider outage?
Look at neighbouring homes and streetlights. If many are dark, it is probably a network outage. Your network provider publishes outage information, and in much of south-east Queensland that provider is Energex, though you should check who serves your address.
If the outage is not listed yet, report it to your network provider’s faults line. Having your address and a description of what you saw ready makes the report faster.
If your neighbours still have power, the fault may be in your own home. See our article on only my house having no power.
What should I do about fallen powerlines?
Treat every fallen or low-hanging line as live, even if it looks lifeless or the area is dark. Powerlines can stay energised or become live again without warning when supply is restored.
What can I do while the power is out?
Most of what helps is simply waiting safely and protecting what you have.
Will my solar panels keep my home running?
Usually not. A standard grid-connected solar system shuts down during an outage, partly to protect line workers repairing the network. A battery with backup capability and a backup circuit is needed to keep chosen loads running.
Panels still produce power whenever light reaches them, so solar equipment can be live even when nothing seems to be working. Do not touch or try to restart it. If it does not return to normal after power is restored, contact your installer or a licensed electrician. Our article on solar during a power outage goes into more detail.
What happens when the power comes back?
Power can return with surges or interruptions, and some appliances may behave differently afterwards. Follow each appliance maker’s instructions in its manual.
If something does not work as it should, or you notice a burning smell, flickering or unusual noises, stop using it and keep away from it. Contact the appliance maker or a licensed electrician rather than trying to fix it.
When is it not a network problem?
If an outage affects only your home or only part of it, the cause is more likely to be inside your property. Fault-finding on a home’s electrical installation must be done by a licensed electrician in Queensland, and the Electrical Safety Office Queensland is the regulator.
What to note when you report an outage
Your address
Have your address ready, and the nearest cross street if you are reporting something you can see in the street.
When it started
Note the time the power went off and whether there was a storm, bang or flicker beforehand.
What you can see
Note whether neighbours and streetlights are affected, and describe any damage to lines or poles from a safe distance.
Any reference number
Write down the reference number the provider gives you so you can follow up.
Frequently asked questions
Report network faults to your network provider's faults line. Call 000 if anyone is in danger, or there is fire, smoke, sparking or a fallen line putting life at risk.
Look at neighbouring homes and streetlights, and check your network provider's outage information. If only your property is affected, contact a licensed electrician.
Stay well back, keep others away and call 000 if life is at risk. Do not rely on a fixed distance unless your network provider specifies one.
A standard grid-connected system shuts down in an outage. Only a battery with backup capability and a backup circuit can keep chosen loads running.
Only if something does not work properly, flickers, buzzes or smells of burning. Stop using it and contact the maker or a licensed electrician.
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