Skip to main content
Live outage map · SA

South Australia power outages: map & report

Is the power out in South Australia? Check the live outage map below to see reports near you, report your own, and call the right faults line. In a blackout you call your distributor, not your retailer. If a powerline is down, call 000 first.

000 Fallen line or danger to life
13 13 66 SA Power Networks faults line
24/7 Faults lines never close
8 m Stay clear of any fallen line

South Australia has a single electricity distributor, SA Power Networks, which runs the poles and wires for the entire state. That makes it simple: wherever you live in SA, the faults line is the same, and SA Power Networks, not your retailer, is who restores your supply.

Live now

South Australia power outage map: check outages near you

This live map shows current power outages reported across South Australia. Enter your address to recentre it on your suburb, see whether an outage has been reported in your area, and report your own so neighbours are warned. For a fallen line or danger to life, call 000 first.

Live power outages near South Australia

Power is out at this address? Report it below to warn your neighbours.

Loading the live outage map…

Unable to load outage data right now. Please try again later.

Source: user reports · Selectra

Current power outage reports

Add to the map

Report a power outage

Reporting is anonymous, appears straight away on the map above, and helps others in your area. It does not replace calling your distributor faults line, which is what gets a crew dispatched and protects any compensation you may be owed.

Thanks, your report has been submitted and will help others in your area.

Reports are submitted anonymously and let other users know about power outages in progress. For a fallen line or danger to life, call 000 first.

Fallen powerline or danger to life? Call 000 first

If you see a fallen powerline, sparking, fire or anyone in danger, call Triple Zero (000) immediately and stay at least 8 metres clear, treating every line as live. Then report the network fault to your SA distributor on the faults line for your area.

Who to call

South Australia distributor faults numbers

These are the network faults lines, not retailer numbers. There is one network across South Australia, so the number is the same wherever you live. For a fallen line or danger to life, call 000 first.

Local context

Why the power goes out in South Australia

The most common causes of outages on the SA network, and why some are seasonal.

Extreme heat

South Australia records some of the country's hottest days. Air-conditioning load on 40°C-plus afternoons stresses local equipment and is a leading cause of summer outages.

Severe storms and damaging wind

Powerful storm systems can bring down lines statewide. The September 2016 event that blacked out the whole state began with storm damage to transmission towers.

Bushfire and fire-danger shutdowns

On catastrophic fire-danger days, SA Power Networks may cut power in high-risk areas, and fires in the Adelaide Hills can damage the network directly.

A long, exposed rural network

Outside Adelaide, long rural feeders across the Mid North, Eyre Peninsula and South East are exposed to weather, vegetation and wildlife.

In a blackout

What to do during a SA power outage

Five steps, in order, from checking for danger to protecting your fridge.

01

Check for danger first

If a powerline is down, or there is fire, smoke or sparks, call 000 straight away and stay at least 8 metres clear of any fallen line.

02

Is it you or the network?

Check whether your neighbours and the streetlights still have power. If they do, check your switchboard for a tripped safety switch and reset it once.

03

Check the map, then report it

Use the live map above to see if an outage is already reported nearby. If not, call your distributor faults line, not your retailer, and report it once.

04

Protect your fridge and freezer

Keep both doors shut. A closed fridge stays cold for about four hours and a full freezer for roughly a day. Do not refreeze food that has fully thawed.

05

Guard against the restoration surge

Turn off and unplug sensitive appliances. When power returns it can come back with a surge that damages anything left on.

06

Plan for next time

Save your distributor faults number in your phone now, and keep a torch and charged power bank handy. If anyone relies on life support, register with your retailer.

Money back

South Australia power outage compensation

Long or repeated blackouts can entitle you to a payment, and many households never realise it.

SA Power Networks pays an automatic Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) credit when a customer has, for example, more than 9 outages or more than 20 hours off supply in a financial year.

The payment usually lands as an automatic credit on your next bill, passed through your retailer, with no claim to lodge. Read our guide to power outage compensation for the thresholds and how to check yours.

Common questions

A Selectra expert answers your South Australia power outage questions

Call your distributor (the poles-and-wires network for your address), not your retailer. In South Australia the network is SA Power Networks, and its 24/7 faults line is 13 13 66. If a powerline is down or anyone is in danger, call Triple Zero (000) first.

Use the live power outage map above: type in your address and it recentres on your suburb and shows whether anyone nearby has reported being without power. Your distributor also runs its own official outage map showing confirmed network faults and estimated restoration times.

If your neighbour has power, the fault is probably inside your own property, not on the SA network, most often a tripped safety switch in your switchboard. Reset it once; if it trips again, unplug appliances and call a licensed electrician. If the whole street is dark, it is a network outage to report to your distributor.

Often, yes, and usually automatically. Under the Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) scheme, your distributor must pay a bill credit when your outages pass set thresholds for total hours off supply or the number of interruptions in a financial year. It appears as a credit through your retailer, with no claim needed. See our power outage compensation guide for the detail.

A planned outage is scheduled by your distributor for maintenance, and you must be given advance notice (a letter, SMS or email a few days ahead). An unplanned outage is a fault from storms, fallen trees, equipment failure or a car hitting a pole, with no warning. Both appear on the distributor outage map, but only unplanned outages need reporting.

100% free Compare in minutes
Independent comparison

You can't choose your network, but you can cut the rest of your bill

Network charges are fixed by your distributor, but they are only part of your bill. The retailer's energy and supply charges are the part you control. Compare retailers that supply your address to find a cheaper plan.