Restoring power
The duration of a power outage is affected by various factors including:
- the nature of the fault, for example, it takes significantly longer to replace a pole than does to replace a fuse.
- the number of other jobs being attended to, for example, during a storm.
- the location of the fault and how close it is to your property. We may be able to isolate the fault and supply you with power from somewhere else.
- high priority incidents, for example, hazards will always be given a high priority.
- the ability to use backup power while we repair the fault.the time required to get extra resources to a site when needed.
- the weather, sometimes we need to stop work due to extreme environmental and weather conditions.
Estimated restoration times relating to postcodes are only ever estimates.
This is because in a ‘postcode area’ there are numerous powerlines that are not necessarily interconnected, which means that restoring power to a line may return power to some customers in one street, but not others.
Additionally, conditions on the ground can change which may impact how safely and quickly our crews can repair the network and restore power.
We recognise it is frustrating to read the message “Restoration time: unknown”. An unknown restoration time message can arise when there is extensive damage to the network, generally caused by a major incident such as a storm, and our crews are attending to many faults.
In such cases, our crews must firstly make each site safe before work can commence.
When there are many faults in a suburb, repair work on one fault may return power to some customers, but not others. Therefore it is not possible to give an estimated restoration time for a suburb that is meaningful for all affected customers within that suburb.
Ground and/or helicopter patrols are required to visually inspect lines before power is restored, to ensure it is safe to do so. In times of strong winds, aerial restrictions sometimes apply limiting our use of helicopter patrols.
When the network is damaged, our first action is to make the site safe for our crews and for the community and then to assess the damage.
Our crews prioritise work focusing first on rebuilding the major lines that connect the most customers to the network.
After the major lines that form the backbone of the network have been repaired, crews work on the smaller lines and then on individual customer lines.
Major storms or lightning strikes often damage several sets of powerlines over a widespread area.
Ground and/or helicopter patrols must visually inspect lines before power is restored, to ensure it is safe to do so. In times of strong winds, aerial restrictions sometimes apply limiting our use of helicopter patrols.
As a result of these factors, restoring power to some regional areas can take longer.
Our role is to provide safe and reliable electricity to our customers. During the bushfire season, we make changes to the way we operate in high and extreme fire risk areas.
Our systems that remotely and automatically restore power are altered during the hotter months to reduce the chance of a spark causing a fire. Occasionally, the process of automatically restoring power can add to the risks of fire. In high and extreme fire areas it is safer to physically check lines before power is restored after an interruption to make sure there are no branches or foreign objects touching the powerlines.
Ground and/or helicopter patrols must visually inspect lines before power is restored, to ensure it is safe to do so. Aerial restrictions sometimes apply limiting our use of helicopter patrols.
Alternatively, we may remotely restore the power when the risk of fire is lower, for example during the night.
As a result of these factors, there may be a delay in restoring power.
If you happen to experience a power interruption in the hotter months, we ask for your patience.
To help us maintain safe and reliable power, we encourage you to report any fault to 13 13 51.
If you’re a life support equipment customer
- We will contact you by phone to confirm you have received a notification about the planned power outage. If you don’t want to receive a follow up phone call, please let us know by our contact form or call us on 13 10 87 to opt out of this service.
- If you require your life support equipment during the outage, please make sure you have enough back up supply or are able to make alternate arrangements. If you have any concerns or require assistance, please call us on 13 10 87.
Handy tips for how to prepare for a power outage
- Cordless phones, including NBN phones won’t operate without mains power, so we recommend having an alternative phone available.
- Power fluctuations may occur when power is restored, so it’s helpful to unplug sensitive appliances such as computers and TVs to reduce the risk of damage.
- Unplug electric heaters or air conditioners so they are off when power is restored.
- Adjust your fridge and freezer to the coldest setting.
- If you have solar panels, check your system is back on after the outage. Not all solar inverters will switch back on automatically after a power outage.
- If you have automatic garage doors or security gates, make sure you know how to operate them manually, or leave your car parked outside.
- Leave a light on inside your house, so you know when power is restored.
- Alarm systems, lifts and escalators may not operate during the power outage or may need to be reprogrammed once power is restored.
- If you don't have a backup battery, you may like to consult with your service provider or investigate the use of a generator.
- You may need to reset reticulation timers after the outage.
If you're a business customer
- You may want to align your maintenance schedule with your outage.
- Consider investing in a backup power system if round-the-clock electricity is essential
- Consider any sensitive and electronic appliances that may need to be switched off prior to the outage.
- Test your backup battery systems, emergency lighting, phone, security and fire protection systems.
- It’s a good idea to back up your computer systems and data.
- If you require further help planning for the outage, please contact us on 13 10 87 and quote the eNAR reference number on planned outage notification.
Western Power installs and maintains streetlights on behalf of most local governments. Local government is responsible for the location, brightness and the number of streetlights in their area.
Main Roads WA installs and maintains freeway and main arterial road lighting. Main Roads WA can be contacted at www.mainroads.wa.gov.au or on 13 81 38.
Seen a faulty streetlight? Report it through our interactive reporting tool.
If your electricity supply is interrupted, we work as safely and quickly as possible to restore power. Our emergency response teams work 24 hours a day seven days a week to fix faults on the network.
When restoring power, our guidelines determine the order of repairs so the greatest number of customer connections can be repaired as soon as possible.
When the network is damaged, our first action is to make the site safe for our crews and for the community, and then to assess the damage. Once we complete the repairs, we restore power using the following priority list:
- Essential services - essential services such as hospitals and other emergency services
- High voltage lines - high voltage bulk transmission lines that supply power to thousands of customers
- Localised faults - localised faults that affect clusters of homes and businesses
- Individual entities - individual homes and businesses
If you see damaged powerlines or hazards on the electricity network, stay clear and make the safe call to our 24/7 emergency line on 13 13 51.