Your electricity supply can be interrupted for many reasons, both planned and unplanned. Interruptions to electricity supply include fluctuations in the frequency and/or voltage of supply and surges caused by high-powered electrical appliances. You can also experience surges through your telephone and cable lines.
Because interruptions happen, we recommend you minimise the risk of damage to electric appliances, and especially to sensitive and expensive appliances like computers, televisions, stereos, washing machines and dryers, and heat pumps. To do this, you can install products such as:
- Surge protectors
- Power conditioners
- UPS (uninterrupted power supply)
- RCDs (residual current devices) and isolating transformers
Which of these you use depends on your circumstances. We recommend you talk to a local electrician or your local electrical outlet to help you choose the best solution for you.
If you’re at home and there’s an interruption to your electricity supply and you either have no electricity, or your supply voltage drops (you usually notice this if your lights dim), we recommend you switch off all electrical appliances at the wall outlet. This can help prevent damage if there is an electricity surge when the supply is restored. Just leave a light or two on so you know when supply is restored. We also recommend that you have insurance that covers you for loss or damage due to electricity supply interruptions or fluctuations.