Power companies do their best to provide continuous service. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. In 2018, approximately 1.1 million people were affected by power outages in Australia.

What causes power outages?

There are a few things that can happen, let’s take a look at some common causes.

Power Isn’t Getting to Your House

There may be an external cause for your power outage. That is, electricity may not be making it to your home for various reasons. Here are some of the most common.

1. Storm Damage

Wind, fallen trees, snow, and ice can all damage electrical equipment and cause disruptions in service. If this is the cause of your trouble, you’ll have to wait until the power company can repair the equipment and restore the flow of electricity once more.

2. Animals

Most electrical equipment comes with built-in protections to prevent small animals from getting inside. However, on occasion, a particularly feisty animal manages to get in. They don’t enjoy the victory for long, though. Soon they’ve caused a short circuit that can damage equipment.

3. Unpaid Bill

With all the stuff of life going on, it can be easy to forget to pay the electric bill on time. If you get too far behind, the power company will shut off access until you pay off the bill.

Damaged Equipment in Your House

However, if your house is the only one that has gone dark, it’s more likely that there is a problem with the electrical equipment in your home.

4. A Trippy Circuit Breaker

Circuit breakers will trip themselves when they detect a problem with the power. This is a safety feature designed to protect the electrical equipment in your home. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t work as it should and the circuit breaker keeps tripping all the time. At that point, you should call in a qualified technician to look at the faulty breaker and get it fixed up.

5. Crowded Power Boards

It can be tempting to fill up every one of those plugs in that nice little row on a power board. However, filling up a power board with the wrong items can easily overload it and cause problems with your entire system. Stick to just a few items and unplug those that you aren’t using at the moment.

Problems Caused by Power Outage

Waiting for the power to come back on is a little nervewracking. Your food is heating up, your house is getting cold (or super hot). Don’t dismay! If it is an external issue, the power company is hard at work to restore service. And if you have an internal issue, it’s nothing a good electrician can’t fix.