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—What you are noticing

When there is no power anywhere in the house

When every light and socket goes off together, the first question is whether the problem is outside the property or inside it.

A complete loss of power can come from the supply — an outage affecting the street or building — or from inside the property, where the main switch or a main protective device has operated. Looking outside answers much of it: are neighbours’ lights on, are street and community lights working, do other apartments in the building have power? If they do, the issue is more likely inside.

This guide describes what people notice and what is safe to do. It does not diagnose your installation; only someone who has seen it can.

At the main board, check whether the main switch or any main RCD has switched off. If it has and it resets and holds, things can be brought back gradually. If it will not reset, or trips again, leave it off. In either case, switch off sensitive equipment and large appliances so they are not all starting together when power returns.

01In short

The points that matter most

  • Look at the neighbours

    Their power tells you whether the problem is the supply or the property.

  • Check the main switch

    A main device that has operated points inside.

  • Protect equipment

    Switch off large appliances and electronics until power is stable.

02Detail

Inside or outside

  • Supply outage

    Neighbours are off too; the supply provider deals with it and there is nothing to fix at the board.

  • Main device operated

    Something in the property caused it; the cause needs finding before relying on it again.

  • No device moved

    If the board looks normal but nothing works, a fault at the incoming supply connection may need investigating.

03Checklist

Useful steps

  • Keep fridge and freezer doors shut

    They stay cold longer that way.

  • Switch off major appliances

    AC units, water heaters, ovens and pumps.

  • Note anything before the outage

    A bang, a smell, a trip or a storm.

04Questions

Questions people ask

Neighbours have power but I do not. What now?
Check the main switch and RCDs. If they will not hold, leave them off and have the installation checked.
Should I switch everything off before power returns?
Switching off large appliances avoids a heavy surge of load when power returns.
Is it safe to use a generator?
Only if it is connected through a proper changeover arrangement; never back-feed through a socket.

05Related

Related guides

This guide sits under troubleshooting. All topics are on the guides page.

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Power gone and neighbours are on?

Tell us what the main board shows and what happened just before. We will advise on the next step.

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