AusNet Power Outages: Strategies for Power Outages

Understanding AusNet Power Outages 

This is a power outage when energy, the electrical power network, or the grid isn't working. Many things can cause power outages, but they affect prominent places, not just one home. 

Why? Because the power loss is caused by the power company, not something in the house. If one house doesn't have power but the rest of the neighbourhood does, it's probably a problem with the circuit switch or something else.

The weather, like storms, strong winds, and high heat, is why AusNet's network goes down. Fires, building work, and broken equipment can cause power outages in AusNet's network.

Safety is the most essential thing to AusNet. When working with electricity, their teams take crucial safety steps. It can take longer than planned to get to the spot because of rough terrain, downed trees, or flooded areas. They often work with emergency services to ensure everyone is on the same page when things get dangerous.  

AusNet power outages can happen in many places in Victoria, Australia. The areas affected by the outage will depend on the problem or incident. AusNet's outage map lets you report places that aren't working.

Here are some ways to get the most up-to-date AusNet power outage map:

1. Visit the AusNet website: Access the AusNet website.
2. Check the relevant section: Go to the website and look for the part that says "Power Outages."
3. Enter your postcode: To see if there is a power outage in your area, enter your address where it says to and click "Go.".
4. Check the map and table: A map and table will show where the power outages are. Click on the link to see if your area is impacted.

To find out if your AusNet power is out, do the things listed below:

1. Go to the page for AusNet.  
2. Click the tab that says "Outages."  
3. Type in your home or postcode to see if the power is in your area.  
4. If there aren't any outages mentioned in your area, you can look at the "Scheduled Outages" tab to see if there are any coming up soon.
5. You can also sign up for email or text message alerts to find out about power outages in your area.

The AusNet Outage Tracker is an interactive map that shows all planned and unplanned power losses in their network. It is updated every minute. This shows where the power outages are happening right now, what's going on with each one, and how long it will take to regain the power. Just type the location into the search box. 

If you look for your address and need help finding your outage, they have yet to learn about it. You can quickly report a problem online (it will only take a minute) or call 13 17 99 to inform them.

If your power goes out, your information will be sent by SMS and email to AusNet. There may be links in these messages to helpful information you can find online. Also, when AusNet has a significant unplanned outage, they often post extra information on Facebook, like pictures from their crews in the field.  

You can also get crucial local news by watching your local council on social media. For example, you can find out about any information or relief centres that have opened in your area.

How to Prepare for A Power Outage?

In Victoria, power outages are a normal part of life. However, the AusNet Power Outage Map Tracker helps people stay current on problems and plan accordingly. This service lets you watch outages happening all over the country in real time and gives you a detailed look at why they happen and possible answers.

Other than using the AusNet power outage tracking, many different things can be done when the power goes out in Australia.

Step 1: Create An Emergency Kit

Put together an emergency kit for Perth's weather that includes non-perishable food, water, medicine, first aid materials, and personal hygiene items.

Consider the wants of everyone in your family, including babies, older people, and pets, and include things like diapers, baby formula, and pet food. Bring warm clothes, blankets, and strong shoes if you'll be without power in the winter. Bring sunblock, hats, and warm clothes if you will be without power in the summer.

An emergency kit ensures you and your family can access essential items during power blackouts and other emergencies. Please ensure everyone in your family can quickly get to your emergency kit, and check and restock the goods often to ensure they are fresh and up to date.

Step 2: Invest In A Backup Power Supply

Save energy and resources during power outages to make batteries last longer and keep essential services running smoothly. To save energy and avoid power surges when the power comes back on, turn off and disconnect any electrical tools and devices that aren't needed; instead of candles, which could catch fire, use battery-powered lanterns or LED flashlights to light the way.

Cut down on using portable heaters and air fans to save money on fuel and battery power. Instead, focus on essential tasks like cooking, heating, and talking to people.

If you want to ensure you always have power when the power goes out, you should buy an extra power source like the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus or 1000 Pro. These portable solar generators get power from the sun and make clean, renewable electricity. They can be a backup power source for essential electronics and tools. 

The Jackery Solar Generator series provides flexible and functional power options for various situations with its many AC outlets, USB ports, and large lithium battery.

Step 3: Make A Communication Plan

Come up with a complete way for your family and friends to stay in touch during power outages and other emergencies. Choose a contact person outside the area who can act as a hub for communication and get important information to family members if local networks go down.

Make a list of people you can call in an emergency, like family members, friends, and the police. Also, ensure everyone knows how to reach each other in case of an evacuation or separation.

To stay in touch with family and friends and to get information from utility companies and emergency services, use a variety of ways to communicate, such as cell phones, landline phones, text messaging, email, and social media.

Please ensure everyone in your family knows what to do in case of an emergency or power outage by going over your contact plan with them often. Also, please constantly update your contact information to be correct and helpful.

Step 4: Stay Informed & Updated

Keep up with possible threats, evacuation orders, and power outage repairs by watching weather forecasts, emergency alerts, and news from local governments and utility companies.

Sign up for AusNet outage alerts through text messages, emails, or government-provided apps for your phone to get information and directions immediately. In an emergency, use official websites and social media to learn about the weather, road closures, and community services. 

Step 5: Check Vulnerable Individuals

While the power is out, check in on your elderly, disabled, or medically fragile friends to see how they're doing and offer to help. If you need to, help them get essential things like medical care, transportation, and a place to live.

To keep everyone safe and comfortable during a disaster, share information about community centres, emergency shelters, and medical facilities that offer support and resources.

Step 6: Involved In Community Preparedness

Joining neighbourhood watch programmes, attending emergency readiness training, and volunteering with local disaster response groups can help your community prepare.  

Work with your neighbours to share resources, help weak people, and strengthen your town to handle emergencies. Residents of Perth can make it easier to handle power outages and other emergencies by working together as a group. This will protect everyone's safety and well-being in the area.

In conclusion, stock up on food, water, medicine, and other emergency goods to keep yourself and your family alive during long-term power outages. Consider different places to stay or shelter options, like living with family or friends, finding short-term lodging in hotels or motels, or using emergency shelters provided by the government.

Plan for backup power sources, like generators or solar panels, so that you can keep using services and staying comfortable during extended power blackouts.    

Jackery Solar Generators for Power Outages

A portable solar generator in your disaster plan will ensure that important things like communication devices, medical devices, and lights stay powered even when the power goes out for a long time.

Solar generators are also a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option than traditional generators that use fuel. They reduce the need for dirty fuels and the pollution they produce. Buying a solar generator like the Jackery Solar Generator is essential to power your tools when the power goes out.

Lithium battery packs inside Jackery Solar Generators can be charged again with Jackery Solar Panels or another power source. The built-in solar charging features let users charge the battery using solar energy, turning the generator into a self-sufficient power source that can be used for outdoor activities or as a backup power source in case of a disaster.

Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro

The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro combines SolarSaga 80W solar PV panels with the Explorer 1000 Pro power station. It is a remarkably quiet generator, with noise levels as low as 46 dB. It has a lifespan of over ten years and can be fully recharged in just 1.8 hours. This device's dual 100W PD design provides a consistent and reliable power supply, ensuring that all necessary appliances remain operational during a power loss.  

The Explorer 1000 Pro power station is a rechargeable device with a capacity of 1002Wh. This allows it to power various appliances, including a television, CPAP machine, E-bike, refrigerator, and other devices, covering around 93% of commonly used equipment.

In addition, it is equipped with two 100W PD connectors and two USB-C ports, ensuring reliable and fast charging for various devices such as smartphones, cameras, and more. The MPPT solar charge technology guarantees an efficiency of 99%. Furthermore, this system supports recharging techniques through walls, vehicles, and solar recharge. 

Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus

The Solar Generator 2000 Plus by Jackery significantly enhances the available choices for portable electricity with its exceptional performance. With its substantial capacity and formidable power output, this device can provide electricity for basic home needs.  

Adding battery cells to the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus enhances its capacity from 2 kWh to 12 kWh, leading to a significant transformation in providing backup power for households.

The Explorer 2000 Plus has a maximum power output of 3000W, 30% greater than other 2 kWh models with similar specifications. The bulk of critical household appliances are powered gadgets. Although the Solar Generator 2000 Plus is commonly used, it can achieve a complete charge within 6 hours by utilising six SolarSaga 100W solar panels. The power source achieves self-sufficiency by harnessing solar energy rather than relying on the power grid for charging.

The supplementary battery pack can be recharged using solar panels, offering increased versatility while enhancing charging efficacy and reducing time consumption. Jackery Solar Panels have an impressive solar conversion efficiency of up to 25%, generating more energy during its lifespan.

What Size Solar Generator Do I Need?

To choose an appropriately sized solar generator, it is essential to consider your energy requirements, the effectiveness of your solar panels, the capacity of your battery storage, and the specific equipment requirements. Selecting the appropriate solar generator size requires balancing energy requirements, installation effectiveness, portability, and expenses.  

Users can choose a Jackery Solar Generator for a portable solar system, which comes in sizes ranging from 12 kWh to 300Wh, depending on their energy needs. The formula for approximating the operational hours of appliances powered by the Jackery Solar Generator is as follows:

Working Hours (H) = [Jackery Solar Generator Capacity (Wh)*0.85] / Appliance's Wattage (W)

The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro can run a 100-watt ceiling fan for 8.2 hours (1002Wh x 0.85/100). This computation assists in determining the hours during which appliances can function.

What to Do During A Power Outage in Geelong?

When there is a power outage, staying calm, putting your safety first, and doing what you can to keep yourself safe and minimise inconvenience is essential. When the power goes out, here are five critical things to do: 

Step 1: Stay Informed

Listen to portable radios or battery-powered devices for news and emergency messages to stay up to date on what's going on. Official websites and social media pages run by local governments and energy companies provide you with new information.

Be patient and ready for possible delays in attempts to restore power, especially when there are widespread outages or bad weather.

Step 2: Ensure Personal Safety

To keep yourself safe and secure:

1. Deactivate and disconnect all electrical devices to prevent harm caused by power spikes.
2. Instead of candles, use flashlights or lanterns that run on batteries to light the way.
3. Close the doors and windows to keep the heat and people out.
4. Using different heating sources, like gas heaters, ensure enough airflow to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Step 3: Conserve Energy & Resources

Use less energy and resources to make batteries last longer and keep essential services running as smoothly as possible. Limit your use of electronics and tools, and cook your food on gas stoves or grills instead. To keep food fresh, keep the doors to the fridge and freezer closed. Focus on doing the most important things first and use as little energy as possible for the rest.

Step 4: Check Food & Water

Eat your new, quickly going bad foods first. To keep the cool temps, don't open your fridge or freezer. Food will stay cold in a refrigerator that has been closed for four hours.

When the door is closed, a full fridge will keep the food cold for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). If you have to, use coolers with ice. Utilise a thermometer to assess the food temperature stored in your refrigerator and freezer. Any food that has exceeded a temperature of 40 degrees F should be discarded.  

Step 5: Prevent Power Overloads & Hazards

Do not plug in electronics and machines to avoid damage from power surges or too much power. Don't use candles, but lamps. Only turn off the services if you think there might be damage or the authorities tell you to. A trained worker is the only one who can turn on your gas line. If any circuit breakers have been tripped, you should have an expert look at them before you turn them back on.

Gas stoves should not be used to heat your home, and outdoor stoves should not be brought inside to cook or heat. If you need to use a generator, put it outside where it can get airflow and away from windows.

Get out of the house if it's too hot or too cold or if you have medical equipment that needs power. Many communities have charging spots and places to warm up or cool off.

Having a stable backup power supply can be advantageous in a power outage. Purchasing a portable solar generator such as the Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro or 2000 Plus is advisable to continue utilising electricity during a power outage.  

AusNet Outages FAQs

The following are the frequently asked questions about the AusNet outages in Australia:

1. 1. What is the cause of the power outage?

There are too many possible reasons for a power loss to give a clear answer to this question. Depending on the details, the reason could be an overloaded circuit, a problem with the power lines, or a problem at the power plant.

2. 2. Will AusNet offer any compensation for users affected by the outages?

AusNet hasn't said if they will pay customers harmed by the outage yet. But users should get in touch with AusNet if they have any questions about possible compensation.

3. 3. What steps can we take to ensure our safety during the outages?

Here are some things you can do to stay safe when the power goes out:

• Unplug your devices during the outage if you want to escape power surges.
• Do not use electrical tools like stoves, hair dryers, and more while the power is out.
• It would be best not to use candles as a light source. Instead, use flashlights or lamps.
• Close the doors to fridges and freezers to keep food fresh.  
• Do not use landlines during the outage to keep the devices from breaking.  
• During the failure, don't take a shower or bath because you could get electrocuted.  
• Tell family and friends about the loss in case of an emergency.  
• Keep canned water and food that goes well in case the power goes out for a long time.
• Watch the local news for more information about the power loss.

4. 4. Whatdoes an unplanned outage mean?

Power outages can occur unexpectedly due to several factors. Still, they are mainly caused by damage to the network from bad weather, falling trees and branches, animals touching power lines, or cars hitting power poles. When we find out about an unplanned outage, our teams work quickly and safely to fix it.

5. 5. Why are there power outages in Australia?

Many things can cause short-term power outages in one area, including lightning, floods, heat waves, bushfires, high winds, trees falling, and car accidents. Large-scale blackouts happen less often but can negatively affect people's health and the economy.

Final Thoughts

The AusNet power outage has hit thousands of people in Victoria, and many feel frustrated and helpless. Businesses and people harmed by the outage have been asked to contact AusNet with any questions or complaints. AusNet has also promised users they will get their money back for any losses caused by the power outage.

Besides calling AusNet, you can do many other things when the power goes out. Buying backup power options like Jackery Solar Generators is essential to deal with a power outage, as keeping emergency supplies on hand and building community resilience is vital.