Crews ready to respond 24/7 to outages

Acting regional manager North Coast, Luke Davis, said storms, lightning, and wind gusts had the potential to damage Essential Energy’s network which spans 95 per cent of the State.

“Despite our comprehensive maintenance program, our vast network can be at the mercy of the weather during the traditional storm season from October to April,” Luke said.

“Essential Energy monitors the network continuously and has crews ready to be dispatched in the event of an unplanned power outage caused by severe winds, rain, hail, lightning, or flash flooding.

“While our crews are ready to respond 24/7, we’re asking our customers to be prepared for storms, stay safe and be patient while we work to restore power after these severe weather events.”

Essential Energy reminds people to report any fallen powerlines or damaged infrastructure and keep at least eight metres away.

“Always treat powerlines as live and remember that anything in contact with them, such as cars, trees or fences, can conduct electricity and pose a danger,” Luke said.

“Be aware that fallen powerlines may not always be visible in paddocks or rugged countryside, or could be hidden by storm debris.”

If you notice fallen trees, smoke, fire, or scorched areas around electrical equipment, call Essential Energy immediately on 13 20 80. 

In an emergency, Essential Energy crews will isolate fault areas and clear fallen vegetation from powerlines to make communities safe and, where possible, back-feed power from other areas.

Major powerlines are re-energised first to restore electricity to the majority of customers. Once this is completed, field crews target individual faults and customers’ problems, such as broken house service lines.

For more information on electrical safety during storms, visit essentialenergy.com.au/safety or call Essential Energy on 13 23 91.