Is there a power cut in my local area? (2024)

FAQs

How do I check if there's a power cut in my area? ›

Please call us at 1-800-611-1911 so we can assist you. If you received a notification from us about an outage in your area, enter your Outage Number above. You can find it on your notification. With a bit more information, we can help you retrieve more accurate outage data for your location.

The most common reason for there being no power in the house is a tripped switch in the fuse box. However, it could be due to a power failure in the electricity network. Let's look at how to fix a power cut at home depending on whether the power outage has just affected your home or the entire area.

Planned power cuts and how they work

Each planned power outage is likely to last around three hours, and in emergency cases, this could be longer. You'll be contacted before it's planned, with the details of the time when the power will be cut.

As the USDA notes in Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency, your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after 4 hours without power.

I wanted to inform you that a power outage has occurred in my area, significantly affecting my ability to work remotely today.

Outages typically last 1-2 hours.

Use a receptacle voltage tester by plugging the device into the outlet. The lights on the device will come on to indicate the presence of a live electrical current. Test an electrical outlet with a non-contact voltage tester by holding the tester about an inch away from the short slot on the outlet.

There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network. Examples of these causes include faults at power stations, damage to electric transmission lines, substations or other parts of the distribution system, a short circuit, cascading failure, fuse or circuit breaker operation.

What to do if you have no power? ›

First, check all of the outlets in the affected area to see if any have loose or damaged wires. If so, these need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. Another possibility is that a circuit breaker may be loose or damaged. In this case, you will need to replace the breaker or put it back in place.

Keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible

Your fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours. The food in your freezer should stay frozen for up to 48 hours in a full freezer (or 24 hours if it's half full), but these are estimates.

If you experience a power cut that you weren't expecting you can report it by calling 105. This will connect you to your distribution network operator (DNO), who owns and maintains the power lines that connect to homes or businesses.

In most cases, this will be located outside your home near your electric meter, but in older homes, you may find it inside. The main breaker will be the largest breaker in the panel. To reset the breaker be sure to flip to the OFF position, then to the ON position.