Power Outage Services

Experiencing a power outage can be stressful and disruptive. Whether it’s a complete blackout, partial power loss, or frequent tripping, Jones and Co Services provides diagnosis and expert electrical repairs to restore power safely to your home or business. We are also available for emergency callouts across the Illawarra.

Get Emergency Help

Understanding Power Outages

A power outage occurs when the electricity supply to your property is interrupted, either partially or completely. Outages can range from minor inconveniences affecting a single room to major blackouts impacting your entire home.

Types of Power Outages:

  • Complete outage - entire property without power
  • Partial outage - only some rooms or circuits affected
  • Intermittent outage - power flickering or cutting in and out
  • Tripped circuits - safety switches or circuit breakers shutting off power

Common Causes of Power Outages

Inside Your Home:

Tripped Circuit Breaker or Safety Switch (RCD)
This is the most common cause of localised outages. Circuit breakers trip when circuits are overloaded or when they detect a fault, protecting your home from electrical hazards.
Too many high-power appliances running simultaneously can exceed your circuit’s capacity, causing it to trip. Common culprits include air conditioners, heaters, washing machines, and dryers running at the same time.
Damaged or malfunctioning electrical appliances can create short circuits or earth faults that trigger your safety switches and cause power loss.
Old, damaged, or rodent-chewed wiring can cause short circuits, arcing, and power interruptions. This is particularly common in older Australian homes.
Outdated switchboards, corroded connections, loose wiring, or failing components can cause recurring power problems.
A loose neutral wire in your switchboard or meter box can cause partial power loss, where some circuits work while others don’t.

External Causes:

Extreme Weather
Australia’s harsh weather conditions including storms, bushfires, cyclones, floods, and heatwaves, frequently disrupt power infrastructure.
Issues with power lines, transformers, or substations operated by your electricity distributor can cause widespread outages affecting multiple properties.
Your electricity provider may schedule maintenance work that temporarily interrupts power supply. You should receive advance notice for planned outages.
Trees contacting power lines or animals interfering with electrical infrastructure can trigger outages.

What to Do During a Power Outage

Check if It’s Just Your Property

  • Look outside…are your neighbours’ lights on?
  • If they have power, the problem is likely within your property
  • If the entire street is dark, it’s a network issue and you will need to contact your electricity distributor

Reset Tripped Switches (If Safe)

  • Turn the tripped switch fully to OFF
  • Unplug all appliances from the affected circuit
  • Flip the switch back to ON
  • If it trips again immediately, there’s an electrical fault, call Jones and Co Services

Check Your Switchboard

  • Locate your switchboard (usually in the garage, laundry, or hallway cupboard)

Look for tripped switches:

  • A tripped breaker sits in the middle position (not fully ON or OFF) or is in the OFF position
  • Safety switches (RCDs) will be in the OFF position if tripped
    • DO NOT touch the switchboard if:
    1. There are burn marks or discolouration
    2. You smell burning or notice smoke
    3. The switchboard is making buzzing or crackling sounds
    4. There’s any water damage or moisture

    Identify Problem Appliances

    If the switch stays on:

    • Plug appliances back in one at a time
    • Wait a minute between each appliance
    • If the switch trips when plugging in a specific appliance, that appliance is faulty
    • Leave that appliance unplugged and have it inspected

    Call a Licensed Electrician

    Contact Jones and Co Services if:

    • You can’t identify the cause
    • Switches keep tripping repeatedly
    • There’s partial power loss with no tripped switches
    • You notice any signs of electrical damage
    • You smell burning or see smoke
    • Multiple circuits are affected

    Our Power Outage Services

    Emergency Callouts

    Power outages don’t wait for business hours. We offer rapid emergency response for urgent electrical issues, and are available 24 hours, 7 days a week to restore power safely and quickly.

    Circuit Breaker Repairs & Replacement

    We repair or replace faulty circuit breakers that fail to protect your circuits properly or trip unnecessarily.

    Switchboard Repairs & Upgrades

    If your switchboard is causing recurring outages, we can repair damaged components or recommend a full upgrade to meet current Australian standards.

    Overload Solutions

    If your circuits are regularly overloaded, we can install additional circuits or upgrade your switchboard capacity to handle modern electrical demands.

    Our Power Outage Services

    Fault Finding & Diagnosis

    Using professional testing equipment, our licensed electricians systematically identify the exact cause of your power outage, whether it’s faulty wiring, damaged circuits, or problematic appliances.

    Safety Switch (RCD) Testing & Repairs

    We test, repair, and replace malfunctioning safety switches to ensure your property has proper protection against electric shock.

    Wiring Repairs & Rewiring

    We repair damaged, deteriorated, or faulty wiring that causes power interruptions, ensuring safe and reliable electricity throughout your property.

    Warning Signs of Electrical Problems

    Don’t wait for a complete power outage. Contact Jones and Co Services if you notice:
    • Frequent circuit breaker or safety switch tripping
    • Flickering or dimming lights
    • Buzzing or humming sounds from outlets or switchboard
    • Warm or discoloured power outlets
    • Burning smell from switches or outlets
    • Partial power loss with no obvious cause
    • Appliances not working properly
    • Sparks when plugging in devices
    These symptoms indicate underlying electrical faults that require professional attention before they escalate into dangerous situations or complete power loss.

    Power Outage Prevention Tips

    Don’t Overload Circuits

    Avoid running multiple high-power appliances on the same circuit simultaneously. Spread electrical load across different circuits.

    Regular Electrical Inspections

    Have your electrical system professionally inspected every 5 years to identify potential problems before they cause outages.

    Test Safety Switches Monthly

    Press the TEST button on your RCDs monthly to ensure they’re functioning correctly and will protect you in an emergency.

    Replace Faulty Appliances

    If an appliance frequently trips your safety switch, have it inspected or replaced rather than continuing to use it.

    Upgrade Old Switchboards

    Switchboards over 25 years old may not cope with modern electrical demands. Consider upgrading to prevent overload-related outages.

    Surge Protection

    Install surge protectors to safeguard sensitive electronics from damage during power fluctuations and restore.

    Partial Power Outage: Half Your House Without Power?

    If some rooms have power while others don’t, and nothing appears tripped, this typically indicates:

    When to Call Your Electricity Distributor vs. an Electrician

    Call your electricity distributor if:
    • A faulty RCD or circuit breaker that appears on but isn’t functioning
    • A loose neutral connection in your switchboard or meter box
    • Damaged wiring affecting specific circuits
    • Supply feed problems from the street connection
    This requires immediate professional attention. Contact Jones and Co Services for expert diagnosis and repair.
    • The entire street or neighbourhood is without power
    • There’s damage to power poles, lines, or substations
    • You’ve received notification of planned maintenance
    • The problem is outside your property boundary
    Call Jones and Co Services if:
    • Only your property is affected
    • Your switchboard has tripped switches
    • You have partial power loss
    • There are signs of electrical faults inside your home
    • You need fault finding and repairs

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How quickly can you respond to power outages?
    We prioritise emergency callouts and aim to respond as quickly as possible, typically within 2 hours for urgent situations.
    Turn off power at the main switch if safe to do so, evacuate your property, and call 000. Then contact us for emergency electrical repairs.
    Recurring trips indicate an earth fault, possibly from a faulty appliance, damaged wiring, or moisture in electrical components. This requires professional diagnosis.
    Yes, if it’s safe to do so and there are no signs of damage. However, if it trips again, don’t keep resetting it, there’s an underlying fault that needs professional repair.
    Costs vary depending on the cause. We provide transparent quotes after diagnosing the problem, so you can make informed decisions.
    Yes, we offer emergency electrical services for urgent power outages across the Illawarra.