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When the lights go out, it’s essential to understand how to find information on the cause, the area affected, and when the electricity will return.
Even though Origin Energy, AGL, or Energy Australia might bill you for your electricity, you must contact your local energy distributor during a power outage. They’re responsible for maintaining your area’s lines and service.
We’ll examine the major distributors across Australia and provide links to their outage maps so you can access the information you need. We’ll also give you some information to help you keep your appliances running when the grid goes down.
Let’s dive in.
Ergon Energy
Ergon Energy is a government-owned electricity distributor and retailer in Greater Queensland, supplying electricity to over 645,000 customers.
Ergon Energy’s website has valuable tools to help you prepare for an outage. You can sign up for electricity outage alerts, and they have a Power Outage Map to see what’s happening in Greater Queensland in real time.
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That means you never have to worry about electricity again, no matter how big your household is. Using this, you can also benefit from the feed-in tariff system that allows you to sell any extra energy you produce back to the grid. Now that’s a win-win.
Areas Covered
- Greater Queensland area
- Cairns
- Mackay
- Rockhampton
- Townsville
- Torres Strait
- Birdsville north to Burketown
Energex
Energex is a distributor in southeast Queensland. They’re your first port of call for all electricity outage information. They also offer an Outage Finder to view blackouts in your area. Additionally, you can check their text view of outages, choosing between emergency (unplanned) and planned outages in your area. You can also register for SMS messages for updates that affect your property.
To better deal with power outages, consider using a portable backup generator that’ll allow you to keep your appliances running. There are many styles available to choose from.
When you use one of EcoFlow’s DELTA Series Solar Generators, you can benefit from using clean, green, and free energy from the sun to keep your appliances running. You should also have enough power to sell back to the grid and earn money via the feed-in tariff system.
Areas Covered
- Southeast Queensland from the border of New South Wales north to Gympie and west to the Great Dividing Range.
- Brisbane
- Gold Coast
- Sunshine Coast
- Logan
- Ipswich
- Redlands
- Moreton Bay
CitiPower
CitiPower is an energy distributor in the West Victoria region and offers a lot of helpful information on its website. Their CitiPower live outage map includes an outage list with the cause and the estimated time the outage will last. You can even follow them on Twitter for updates.
To avoid the hassle of blackouts, consider using a battery backup system. The EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro + 220W Solar Panel is an affordable model that can run about 80% of household appliances when the electricity goes out. It’s also lightweight and completely portable, making it versatile for use at home, on family vacations, and on trips to the outback so you can travel comfortably.
Areas Covered
- Melbourne CBD
- Fitzroy
- Hawthorn
- Richmond
- Brunswick
- St Kilda
- Docklands
Ausgrid
Ausgrid is an electricity distributor operating across the central-east coast of New South Wales. When the grid goes down in that region, they’re the ones to call. You can also contact them if you want to install solar panels on your home.
Ausgrid also offers a power outage map where you can search by your residential address to find out the cause of the outage and get estimates of when the electricity might come back on.
Areas Covered
- Sydney north to Nelson Bay and west to the Great Dividing Range.
- Cronulla
- Newcastle
- Hunter
- Oatley
- Hornsby
- Singleton
- Muswellbrook
SA Power Networks
SA Power Networks is the sole electricity distributor for the South Australia region. They should be your first port of call anytime the grid goes down in South Australia since they’re responsible for building, maintaining, and upgrading the entire state’s poles, wires, and substations.
If your lights have gone out, you can view the SA Power Network outage map on their website. You can also search for outages or contact them directly for more information.
Areas Covered
- South Australia region
- Adelaide
- Gawler
- Mount Gambier
- Mount Barker
- Port Lincoln
- Whyalla
Power and Water Corporation
Jacana Energy is a government-owned electricity retailer in the Northern Territory, where the energy market is still regulated. Their primary distributor is the Power and Water Corporation, which you can contact if the grid goes down.
They have a power outage page listing electricity and water outages. You can also click the link at the bottom to report an outage and view any upcoming outages caused by planned works in the area.
To help you stay connected when the grid goes down, the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Series Solar Generators are compact and lightweight off-grid electricity generation and storage solutions. They provide power backup to run your most essential appliances and are portable enough to use on outback adventures.
Areas Covered
- Most of the Northern Territory
- Darwin
- Katherine
- Alice Springs
- Tennant Creek
- Jabiru
- Alyangula
- Nhulunbuy
Western Power
Western Power does things a little differently than the rest of Australia. Electricity in that region can be confusing since it is still heavily regulated, with customers in the non-contestable areas choosing their distributors. In contrast, the rest of the contestable regions will use Synergy as their distributor.
Despite that confusion, their information on electricity outages is easy to find. You can visit Western’s website and click the Outages Tab to find current outage information. That means you don’t have to look up who your distributor is to get your information.
For additional information, check out Western Power’s outages and more specific information for those in the Perth area.
Areas Covered
- Most of Western Australia
- Perth
- Rockingham
- Mandurah
- Ellenbrook
- Baldivis
- Bunbury
- Geraldton
- Kalgoorlie-Boulder
- Karratha
Frequently Asked Questions
To find a power outage in Australia, you must contact your electricity distributor rather than the energy provider since the distributor is responsible for maintaining the lines and poles in your area. If you’re unsure who your distributor is, visit your provider’s website and look them up.
If you need to find out if the power has been cut anywhere in Australia, you must contact your local distributor since they’re responsible for maintaining the connections in your area. If you’re unsure who your local distributor is, ask your energy provider who sends your bill.
Final Thoughts
Now, you have the information you need to quickly find the planned and unplanned power outages in your area, no matter where in Australia you live.
With abundant sunshine across Australia, consider purchasing an EcoFlow Solar Generator to help you keep your essential appliances running when the grid goes down. With a large enough array, you can sell excess energy back to the grid. Then, you’ll no longer worry about electricity outages while earning money simultaneously.