The answer to "power out in Geelong: is it Powercor, or your house?" starts in the street: neighbours dark too usually means a Powercor outage, while only your home dark usually means a fault on your property.
Powercor owns and maintains the poles and wires, and restoring power on its network is its job. A problem on your side, such as a tripped safety switch, a switchboard fault or a damaged private service line, needs a licensed electrician. If anything is sparking, smoking or burning, or a powerline is down, treat it as an emergency: call 000 if life or property is at risk, and Powercor on 13 24 12 for fallen lines.
- Whole street dark
- A Powercor outage: check the outage map or call 13 24 12
- Only your home dark
- Check the safety switch once, then call a licensed electrician
- Fallen powerline
- Stay at least 10 metres away, call 13 24 12, and 000 if life is at risk
- CabledIN, 24/7
- 1300 025 555, REC 30925, based in North Geelong
Is it just my house, or the whole street?
Look outside first. If the street lights and your neighbours' homes are dark too, the outage is most likely on Powercor's network. If the street has power and you do not, the fault is usually on your side of the meter.
| What you see | What it usually means | Who to call |
|---|---|---|
| The whole street is dark, street lights included | An outage on Powercor's network | Check Powercor's outage map. If it is not listed, report it online or call 13 24 12 |
| Only your home is dark, and a safety switch has tripped | A fault on one of your circuits or appliances | Reset it once. If it will not stay on, call a licensed electrician |
| Only your home is dark, and nothing has tripped | A fault on your side of the meter, or on the line to your home | Report it to Powercor if it is not on the map, and call a licensed electrician |
| Some rooms or power points work and others do not | Partial supply | Keep off the switchboard, unplug, and call Powercor on 13 24 12 (ESV's advice) |
| The street's power is back on, but yours is not | Possible damage to your private service, often after a storm | A licensed electrician to repair and reconnect it safely (Powercor's advice) |
Powercor is the electricity distributor for western Victoria, including the Geelong region. Energy Safe Victoria (ESV), the state's electrical safety regulator, says restoring power is the job of the company that owns the poles and wires. Your switchboard, wiring and private service line are yours, and only a licensed electrician may work on them.
How do I check my switchboard safely?
Check the safety switches and nothing more. ESV's first step in a power outage is to find your electricity box outside your home and see whether a safety switch has tripped. If it has, reset it. If it will not reset, call a licensed electrician.
A safety switch, also called an RCD (residual current device), watches the electricity flowing in a circuit and cuts the power if some of it leaks away, for example through a person. ESV says it does this within 0.03 of a second. A circuit breaker is different: it protects the wiring from overloads and short circuits, and it is not a safety switch.
- Use a torch or a battery lantern to see. If you smell burning, see sparks or find water around the box, do not touch it: call an electrician.
- Look for a safety switch that has tripped. Its lever will have moved to the off position.
- Push it back to on, once.
- If it trips again straight away, leave it off, unplug appliances and call a licensed electrician.
- Do not take the cover off, touch the wiring or swap anything. ESV says doing electrical repairs yourself is unsafe and illegal.
For repeat trips, see why a safety switch keeps tripping, and for older boards, safety switch (RCD) installation.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
How do I check a Powercor outage and report it?
Check Powercor's live outage map first, then report the outage if it is not listed. The map searches by suburb or postcode and shows planned and unplanned outages.
- Outage map: the Powercor live outage map, searchable by suburb or postcode.
- Not on the map: report it on Powercor's website, or call the faults line on 13 24 12, 24 hours.
- In danger, or relying on life support equipment: Powercor asks you to call 13 24 12 straight away.
- Updates: Powercor sends SMS messages with an estimated restoration time, so make sure your household receives its outage notifications.
- Storm and flood help: the SES is on 132 500, and Powercor points people to the VicEmergency app.
Nobody outside Powercor can tell you how long a network outage will last. ESV says it depends on the cause, such as a storm, fire or flood, the weather and access to the area.
Why is only part of my house without power?
Part of the house can lose power when one safety switch or circuit breaker has turned off, but it can also point to a fault in the switchboard, the mains or the supply.
For dim or flickering lights, a "brown out" or partial supply, ESV says:
- do not touch the switchboard or anything metal in the home;
- turn off the power points that are easy to reach and unplug appliances;
- call your distributor straight away, which in the Geelong region is Powercor on 13 24 12.
If you feel a tingle or a shock from a tap or an appliance, call Powercor on 13 24 12 straight away. ESV says a licensed electrician must then check the wiring.
We see this on real jobs. Mike, a customer, described "a difficult power fault where most of the power points in the house stopped working". Our electrician "traced the problem to the mains fuse box" and "helped organise the Powercor side of the job". Our guide to why lights flicker covers the warning signs, and electrical fault finding and repairs explains how we trace a fault like this one.
How do I keep sockets and power boards safe in a storm?
Unplug what you can, keep leads and power boards away from water, and leave anything wet alone. Powercor says storms can come at any time of year, but particularly in summer.
| When | What to do | Whose advice |
|---|---|---|
| Before a storm | Secure loose items such as garden furniture, trampolines and building materials. If you leave home, turn off and unplug televisions and computers before you go. | Powercor |
| During a storm | If the power goes, turn off and unplug sensitive electronics. Treat any fallen powerline as live and stay at least 10 metres away. | Powercor |
| Power boards and leads | Use a power board with a built-in safety device instead of piggybacking adaptors. Do not use extension leads in wet areas unless they are made for it. | ESV |
| Wet, cracked or broken power points | Do not touch or try to repair a cracked or broken power point. Cover it and have a licensed electrician replace it. | ESV |
| Water in the house | Do not turn the power back on until a licensed electrician has tested the wiring, and do not use wet appliances until they have been tested. | ESV |
| After the storm | Check the outage map. If your street has power and you do not, your private service may be damaged and needs a licensed electrician. | Powercor |
ESV also says to switch off appliances during an outage, because they could start a fire if the power returns when no one is around. If you want extra protection for your appliances, we fit surge protection at the switchboard.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Is it an emergency, and who do I call?
It is an emergency if anything is sparking, smoking or burning, a powerline is down, someone has had a shock, or water has reached the wiring. Call 000 first if life or property is at risk, and never use water on an electrical fire.
| Situation | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Fire, or someone injured or in danger | 000 |
| A fallen or damaged powerline (stay at least 10 metres away) | Powercor on 13 24 12, and 000 if life is threatened |
| A tingle or shock from a tap or appliance | Powercor on 13 24 12 straight away, then a licensed electrician to check the wiring |
| Storm or flood damage to the house | SES on 132 500 |
| A safety switch that will not reset, sparks or a burning smell at a power point or the switchboard, or power out at your home only | A licensed electrician: CabledIN on 1300 025 555, 24/7 |
Our emergency electrician service covers emergency repairs, power outages and electrical power restoration on your side of the meter. We make the fault safe first, then repair it. We price the job once we have seen it, so you know the price before any work starts.
What can I do while I wait for the power to come back?
Stay safe, keep the fridge shut and switch things off:
- Switch off appliances, so nothing starts a fire if the power comes back while no one is around (ESV).
- Use a torch or a battery-operated lantern for light (ESV).
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed. An unopened fridge keeps food for about four hours, and a full, unopened freezer for about two days (Powercor).
- Keep warm with extra layers or blankets, and never use outdoor equipment inside the house (Powercor).
- Keep a power pack: a torch, spare batteries, a fully charged power bank and a battery radio (Powercor).
- Never plug a generator into a power point or connect it to the switchboard, and never run one indoors, in a garage or in a tent, because of carbon monoxide (ESV).
When the power returns, ESV says to contact a licensed electrician if fuses blow, or circuit breakers and safety switches keep turning off.
What to do next
If only your home is out, a safety switch will not reset, or you smell burning, call CabledIN Electrical Solutions on 1300 025 555. We are licensed electricians (REC 30925) based in North Geelong, open 24 hours, 7 days, with 24/7 emergency call-outs in every area we serve: greater Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Werribee.
Our job records show more than 30 call-outs to homes with no power, and our emergency work has taken us to homes from Lara, Corio and Hamlyn Heights to Highton, Newtown, Leopold and Bannockburn. When the cause turns out to be the mains or a Powercor defect notice, our mains upgrades and Powercor defect repairs page explains that work, and our Geelong electrician page lists the suburbs we cover.
Get help now: call 1300 025 555 at any time for emergency electrical repairs or fault finding.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my power out but my neighbours have power?
When your neighbours have power and you do not, the fault is usually on your property: a tripped safety switch, a fault in the switchboard or mains, or damage to your private service line. Check whether a safety switch has tripped and reset it once. If it will not reset, or nothing has tripped, report the outage to Powercor if it is not on the map and call a licensed electrician.
Who do I call when the power is out: Powercor or an electrician?
Call Powercor on 13 24 12 about its network: street-wide outages, fallen powerlines, and tingles or shocks from taps or appliances. Call a licensed electrician about your side: a safety switch that will not reset, a burning smell at the switchboard, or power out at your home only. CabledIN Electrical Solutions takes emergency calls 24/7 on 1300 025 555.
Should I unplug appliances during a power outage?
Yes. Energy Safe Victoria says to switch off appliances during an outage, because they could start a fire if the power returns when no one is around. Powercor advises turning off and unplugging sensitive electronics, such as televisions and computers, when the power goes in a storm, and before you leave home if a storm is coming.
Can I use a generator during a power outage?
Energy Safe Victoria says never to power the house by plugging a generator into a wall socket or connecting it to the switchboard. It also says never to run a portable generator indoors or in an enclosed space, including a garage or a tent, because it releases carbon monoxide that you cannot see or smell. Ask a licensed electrician before connecting anything to your home's wiring.
Does Powercor charge to reconnect my power after a fault?
Powercor says that once repairs are complete, it reconnects your supply free of charge. If your own connection, such as the private service line or switchboard, does not meet safety standards, it may not reconnect until that is repaired. A licensed electrician does the repair, inspects the work, issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety and arranges the reconnection with Powercor for you.
What should I do if there is a burning smell when the power comes back?
Treat a burning smell as an emergency. If there is smoke or fire, get everyone out, call 000, and never use water on an electrical fire. If there is no fire, turn off the power at the source if it is safe to do so, keep away from the switchboard, and call a licensed electrician straight away. CabledIN answers 24/7 on 1300 025 555.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.