Planned outages
We sometimes need to turn your power off to get the job done quicker or where there is a safety requirement.
We’re busy throughout the year conducting essential maintenance to maintain and improve your power supply. We do this to keep the network at its best – like when you service your car to keep it running smoothly.
When conducting work in your area, we aim to complete the job with minimal disruption to you. If we can do it safely without turning off your power, we will.
We sometimes need to turn your power off to get the job done quicker or where there is a safety requirement. You will be notified in advance by email, SMS or mail if your property has a planned outage as a result of our work.
Very rarely, we may need to cancel your planned outage due to extreme weather conditions and other circumstances.
View our planned power outage FAQs for more information about how our scheduled maintenance may impact your power supply. Visit our power outages checker for today’s list of planned outages.
Preparing for a planned outage
Planned outage FAQs
We will let you know if any of our planned outages affect your property as soon as possible by email or SMS or a letter to your home or business. A planned outage may not impact every street in a suburb or even every house. So we only notify those who will be affected. To update your notification preference, please call us on 13 10 87.
If for some reason you weren’t notified of the planned outage, you are entitled to make a claim.
If you have a temporary or ongoing medical dependency on electricity, we recommend that you discuss this with your doctor and your electricity retailer.
Generators may be provided to priority essential service customers (for example hospitals and aged care facilities) and those with life support equipment in their home.
If you would like us to consider your situation, please contact us on 13 10 87 before the planned outage.
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 this planned 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.
Compensation is not available if we have notified you of the planned outage in advance. Don’t forget to check your email inbox if that is your preferred method of notification.
Information and tips for how to prepare:
- If you have a monitored security alarm without a backup battery or other equipment such as a lift, you may like to consult with your service provider, or investigate the use of a generator
- Cordless phones do not 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 prior to and for the duration of the outage, for example 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, you may wish to check that 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, know how to operate them manually or leave your car parked outside
- Lifts and escalators may not operate during the power outage
- Leave a light on inside your house, so you know when power is restored
- Visit the HealthyWA website for tips on reducing the risk of food-related illness during power outages.
It could be that our network information for your property isn’t accurate.
Please call us on 13 13 51 if this happens. We will check that your property is mapped correctly.
Also, work may be cancelled at short notice for several reasons including safety, weather and faults. If this happens, we will endeavour to contact you.
If you have partial power or are without power after the planned outage, then check your meter box to make sure safety switches including RCDs (residual current devices) have not operated.
Make sure your RCDs in your meter box are at the 'on' position.
In certain circumstances equipment (such as air conditioners) may also need to be reset in accordance to the operating instructions. Should the instructions not assist you to reset the device, you would need to seek assistance from the manufacturer or installer for assistance.