Power Outage – What to Do and How to Prepare?

Power Outage – What Is It and What Can Cause It?
A power outage refers to the loss or deviation of voltage below or above the permissible limits in a commercial electricity distribution network. This phenomenon can occur locally, for example, within a single street, or on a larger scale, such as an entire city block or village.

There can be many causes of a power outage. Often, they are natural phenomena beyond the distributor's control, such as:

• heavy snowfall;
• extremely high or low temperatures;
• storms.

Sometimes, a power line may be interrupted, for example, by a falling tree. Damage to the underground electrical network can also be caused by construction work. Overloading of the network is another problem, especially in very unfavorable weather conditions, such as frost or heat waves, which leads to widespread use of devices like electric heating or HVAC systems.

It is important to remember that older aluminum cables were prone to breaking under load. Older parts of the network are much more susceptible to outages than modern ones. Of course, theft of cables is also a factor. Malfunctioning network components, such as sparking or overheating, can also lead to outages.

Providers have the right to disconnect power to a specific section of the network due to maintenance or installation expansion work. Power supply will also be interrupted in the case of unpaid bills.

How to Check Where the Power Outage Is – Practical Methods and Tools
If the power goes out suddenly, try to determine whether the problem is only affecting you or is more widespread. First, check the website of your electricity distributor (e.g., on your smartphone). Each site has a section for "Planned Outages." Make sure your address is not on the list.

Sometimes the reason for the power outage is trivial, such as blown fuses. Before calling the emergency number, check to ensure they are in their proper position. You don’t need tools for this, just locate the distribution box in your facility.

Power Outage – Where to Report the Problem and How to Get Help Quickly?

If there are no planned maintenance works in your area, call the free number 991. This is the emergency energy service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Check whether the electricity distributor differentiates between phone numbers for individual and business reports.

If the power outage is limited to one building, contact its administrator, the company responsible for the technical maintenance of the facility. It is their duty to determine the cause of the power loss.

How Long Does a Power Outage Last – Factors Affecting Repair Time

The operator makes every effort to restore power as quickly as possible, but it is not always possible to clearly determine how long it will take to resolve the issue. In this case, the provider can only rely on estimates based on similar past outages. Factors influencing the repair time include the extent and type of the outage, the prevailing weather conditions, and the availability of work crews. Simple outages are often resolved within minutes. Extensive outages can result in blackouts lasting several days.

Examples of “large” outages include the collapse of the power system in India from July 30 to 31, 2012, during which electricity was lost across almost the entire country with a population of over 600 million. More recently, on Friday, October 18, 2024, Cuba experienced a power outage lasting almost 40 hours due to damage to the main power plant.

Right to Compensation in Case of Power Supply Interruption

It should be noted that the applicable regulations clearly define the permissible time for power interruptions. This varies according to the connection group to which the user belongs:

• for groups I-III and VI – specified in the contract for the provision of electricity transmission or distribution services or comprehensive agreements;
• for groups IV-V:
  • the duration of a single interruption for planned outages must not exceed 16 hours and for unplanned interruptions, 24 hours;
  • the total duration of interruptions in a year, summing the times of single long and very long interruptions, must not exceed 35 hours for planned outages and 48 hours for unplanned outages.

Violation of these energy quality standards entitles consumers to request compensation for the lack of electricity. The amount of compensation is calculated as the product of the excess hours of power outage and the average electricity price established for that year by the President of the Energy Regulatory Authority.

How to Prepare for a Power Outage – Advice and Essential Equipment

While for individual consumers the lack of access to electricity is usually not a big problem, for large companies each hour of interruption is tantamount to huge financial losses. How to prepare for a power outage?
First of all, it's worth investing in a photovoltaic installation that works with energy storage. In this way, the company can improve its energy security, because in the event of a power cut from the grid it uses the current production of silicon cells and reserves stored in rechargeable cells.
It is worth considering the purchase of a generator set. These are devices that allow powered machinery to continue operating in a situation where there is no mains power. The price of a genset can range from a few thousand zlotys to even more than a million zlotys, depending on its technical parameters. Match the capabilities of the genset to your needs. A good industrial genset is one that is equipped with:

• diesel engine;
• Automatic voltage stabilization AVR;
• ATS automatic reserve switching function;
• safety features that allow the unit to operate indoors and outdoors.

Company warehouses should be equipped with portable light sources, such as flashlights, headlamps and batteries and charged batteries for them. For indoor use, it does not make sense to invest in headlamps with very high brightness (several thousand lumens). Devices that emit weaker light for a longer period of time will do much better.
A power failure can always happen, so it makes sense to be as prepared for it as possible. Companies have more options at their disposal than individuals, and it's definitely worth investing available resources in modern technology. If you want to improve your security, start by using renewable energy sources. See how we can help you - contact us!