No one likes an unexpected power outage, as it not only brings inconvenience to your household but can also greatly affect your business too. How can you prevent these inconveniences? If you are a resident of Queensland and your service provider is Energex, then your solution is quite simple. Energex is an electricity provider in Australia and is responsible for maintaining the power network as well as providing you with power.
Unfortunately, no matter how reliable of a service they can provide both planned and unplanned outages can happen either due to maintenance, upgrades, weather conditions or errors. Then how do you think you can keep yourself informed about all these unexpected Energex power outages? If you are curious and want to know how — then continue reading.
Understanding Planned Outages
You experience planned outages because they play a crucial role in maintaining and upgrading your area's electrical infrastructure. It allows Energex to conduct all the necessary maintenance that is needed to make sure that you and everyone in the area are receiving a safe and reliable power supply.
Why Are Planned Energex Power Outages Needed?
Most of the time Energex scheduled outages are needed to maintain or upgrade your aging electrical infrastructure so that they can install new technology into your power grid. This process makes sure that you don’t experience any unexpected outages and adds to the overall efficiency of your electrical system. Plus, it also allows them to address any potential issues before they actually become a major problem.
How Can You Check for Energex Power Outages
Energex Outage Map
Energex itself provides real-time outage maps that allow you to check the current power status of your area. On this map you can find.
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The affected areas and the estimated time it will take to restore the power.
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The reason behind these outages.
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Updates from Energex related to the restoration process.
Energex Website and App
You can also visit the Energex website or use their mobile app to get real-time outage notifications as well as updates. All you need to do is log in using your account so that you can receive personalized alerts and track the restoration progress for the area.
SMS and Email Alerts
Energex also offers an alert system that you can subscribe to receive notifications through SMS and emails. These are some of the more accessible ways to keep yourself updated on both planned and unplanned outages.
Social Media Updates
They also regularly post updates on their online platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc — you can follow these accounts to get real-time information on outages as well as restoration times.
Reaching Out To Energex Customer Support
If you want to get an urgent outage update you can call Energex’s 24/7 support line, to either report an unexpected outage or receive information regarding it.
How to Prepare for Energex Power Outages
Make an Emergency Kit
Planned or not power outages can lead to annoyance as well as disruption in your daily routines — to minimize these issues if not fully prevent them you can create an emergency kit with these items.
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Flashlights and extra batteries.
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Battery-powered radio for news updates.
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First-aid supplies.
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Non-perishable food and bottled water.
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Power banks for charging mobile devices.
Home Backup Power Solutions
If power outages are likely to affect your work – getting a backup power solution might not be a bad idea. They include generators for temporary power, rechargeable portable power stations that can extend the life of your devices, or an UPS for brief power supply to sensitive electronic devices.
For a long-lasting and scalable solution, however, the BLUETT AC300 is worth considering due to its modular expansion capability. The AC300 doesn’t have a built in battery like traditional backup power sources, but can be paired with batteries and solar panels, for a massive 11,059.2Wh of capacity. This makes it possible to run an entire home for days depending on energy consumption.
Protect Electrical Appliances
If your area faces a lot of power outages — you can use surge protectors to safeguard your appliances for unexpected power surge. At the same time, make sure that you unplug all of your sensitive electronics during storms to prevent major damage to your devices.
Save Water and Food
Make sure that you keep enough bottled water for at least seventy-two hours and store non-perishable food items that do not require refrigeration. Also, try to limit the amount of times you open the fridge or refrigerator to keep the food inside cool for a longer period of time.
Backup for Medical Needs
Keep a supply of all the important medications in case of an unexpected emergency and also have some kind of backup power for medical devices if they are needed. Moreover, you can also register for Energex’s life support program if you or someone else in your household needs powered medical equipment.
Have A Communication Plan
If you are about to experience planned Energex power outages — make sure that all of your mobile devices are fully charged before the actual outage. Keep a list of emergency contacts on hand and use a battery-powered radius for emergency updates.
What Should You Do During an Energex Power Outage
Communication and Restoration Time
Getting timely and clear outage notifications is crucial for you to prepare yourself from getting disturbed, which is why Energex makes sure to provide you with alters using different methods like SMS, emails as well as other platforms to make sure that you receive advance warnings.
This transparent communication aids in minimizing the innocence you might experience and allows both households and business to plan their day ahead of time. In addition to that, having an accurate restoration time also plays an important role in managing your daily activity during the outage, Energex allows you to do that by continuously providing you with updates through its online outage tracker, which allows you to have real-time status reports.
Safety Concerns
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If there is a risk of a fallen power line, first make sure that you stay away and then report to Energex immediately and don’t touch any object in contact with the fallen line.
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Safely use a portable generator by using it outside and making sure that the area has proper ventilation try to avoid connecting directly to your household with the help of a professional installation.
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During the outage, unplug all of your sensitive electronics and use surge protectors or consider installing a whole-house surge protection device.
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You can also register for Energex’s life support program and have a backup plan like batteries or generators to prevent any medical emergencies.
Compensation and Claims
Guaranteed Service Levels
Energex is committed to GSLs and makes sure to provide a reliable electrical supply if these conditions are not met for instance excessive outages or delays you will automatically receive compensation which will be credited through your electricity retailer.
Compensation Due to Damages
If you experience any property damage because of an outage or voltage variation, you can file a claim with Energex. This process requires you to share the details of the incident along with supporting documentation through the official Energex claims form.
Home Insurance
Energex also provides you with confirmation letters about the outage and the damages it might have caused to your household, which can be used to support insurance claims. The easiest way to do this is by requesting it through their official website.
Customer Service Feedback
Energex has a very flexible and accessible customer service which they achieve by offering their customers a bunch of contact channels, including phone support, online forms, live updates, etc. This quick service allows you to easily report issues, get assistance and stay informed during a power disruption.
Even though some customers might experience frustration like delays in getting information or having a hard time accessing real-time updates, these issues do hint at needing some improvement in their communication and issue-handling services — Energex still continues to refine their process to increase their efficiency as well as customer stratification.
Use Other Lighting Sources
Make sure that you are using flashlights instead of candles or gas lamps to prevent any fire hazards, also ensure that you have extra batteries on hand for all your devices that operate on batteries.
Food Safety
If you have been facing a power outage for more than four hours you can use a cooler with some ice packs to keep your food and ingredients safe. Remove any perishable items that might have come in contact with unsafe temperatures as well as make sure that you keep your freezer or refrigerator door closed for as long as possible.
FAQs
How long can I expect these power outages to last?
The duration can differ because of the reasons behind it — but most of the time a planned outage can typically last for a few hours whereas an unexpected outage can take longer if not a full day depending on the issue.
Will I get some kind of compensation for these power outages?
Energex doesn’t provide any compensation for their planned outages. However, if you have experienced a prolonged or unexpected outage — you can contact their customer for more details.
What is the best way for me to protect my electronics during an outage?
You can use tools like surge protectors or just unplug all of your electronic devices during the outage to prevent power surges or damage when the power is restored.
Will I get a Notification for a planned outage?
Absolutely — if you are registered to their SMS and email services you will get a direct notification.
What should I do if I see a fallen power line?
First, make sure that you are at a safe distance and then contact Energex or emergency services.
