Electrical safety after a storm
If you’ve received an electric shock or experience a recurring tingling sensation when touching metal fixtures or appliances, please don’t ignore it. Report it to us on 132 004 immediately.
When a storm hits, it can lead to power outages and significant community and property damage. Severe weather conditions can also damage your home’s electrical installation, which can present a serious electrical safety risk.
If faulty wiring is present in your home, you may experience an electric shock when touching equipment with electrical components, like power points or appliances. Even if it’s mild, you should never ignore an electric shock.
Call TasNetworks on 132 004 if you experience:
- Shocks or tingling sensations from electrical appliances, plumbing or metal fixtures
- Lights flickering or varying in brightness
- Excessive noise or sparking from switches or power points
- Electrical appliances working slowly; or
- If you're concerned about the earth wire of your home, if your earth wire is disturbed or you notice a broken or damaged bare copper wire or green insulated wire around your house
Follow these steps to stay safe
1. Received a shock or tingling sensation?
If you’ve received a shock or felt a tingling sensation, or are experiencing any of the other warning signs, please don't touch anything metallic, the appliance or location of the shock again until we know your property is safe.
Call us immediately on 132 004. We may need to arrange for a member of the team to come to your property to investigate. You should seek medical advice within 48 hours of receiving an electrical shock or tingle, call 000 if it’s an emergency.
2. We’ll investigate the cause
Depending on the information you’ve provided, we may need to send someone from TasNetworks or TechSafe to investigate if it’s a network or private property issue. For safety reasons, we may temporarily disconnect your power. Depending on the cause, we'll either fix it for you or we'll give you advice on who you should contact.
3. If it's a network issue
Our team will carry out repairs and reconnect the installation to get your power restored as quickly as possible.
4. If it's a private property issue
It's likely that the issue is with the wiring in your property and may need to be inspected and fixed by a licenced electrician. If this is the case, it will be your responsibility to engage a licensed Electrical Contractor. Any fees or charges from your electrician will be the responsibility of the property owner.
5. Safe to reconnect
If your property is disconnected for safety reasons, once the issue has been safely resolved, your electrician will notify us and we'll reconnect you as soon as possible. Times can vary depending on the complexity and volume of faults at the time.