A power cut or outage occurs when there is a loss of the electrical power supply to an electricity customer. There can be multiple reasons as to why an outage occurs on an electricity network. These can include power station faults, damage to transmission lines, substations or other links in the distribution system, a short circuit or fuse failure.
Experiencing a power cut at a critical site can put the public’s safety at jeopardy, such as hospitals, factories, sewerage treatments plants and water works. Such sites will usually have a backup power source like a generator which should activate when the main electricity network is cut off. Other industries with alternative power supplies include telecommunications and emergency services.
There are 3 main categories of power failure depending on the effect and length of the outage:
- Permanent fault
This involves a large loss of power that is normally the result of a fault on the line. Once the defect is dealt with, the power will automatically restore.
- Brownout
This is a voltage drop in a power supply. It is called a brownout as opposed to a blackout due to the dimming of lights that occur when a dip in voltage occurs. These dips can affect the correct operation of equipment and lead to poor performance being experienced.
- Blackout
This is the complete loss of power to a specific area and is the most serious form of outage. A trip in a power station is the most difficult form of blackout to resolve quickly. Blackouts can last for a short time or even weeks depending on the issue that caused the blackout and how the network is configured.
Thankfully, power outages aren’t a regular occurrence but for some households and services, getting power back on as soon as possible is critical. This is why some make the sensible decision to choose Generator Rental from a site like http://www.newburnpowerrental.com/generator-rental/sectors/
Some people can receive extra support to avoid the problems of a loss of power. These include:
- Those who rely on essential medical equipment
- People with chronic or serious illness
- People with a disability
- Those with refrigerated medicines
- Someone living with dementia
- OAPs
- Households with children aged under 5
- Short term recovery after medical treatment
What assistance is available?
- A priority phone number for your power supplier
- A team dedicated to priority customers who will call and update you during an outage
- Expert advice on bills and energy saving tips
- Tailored package of support including hot meals, visits, advice services and updating friends and family
- In severe situations, overnight hotel accommodation and free transport may be provided
Although a power cut can be frustrating, it doesn’t often mean we are put into any real danger. For those with health concerns, there are priority services available and for any services or businesses who don’t wish to lose money from downtime, generators provide an excellent source of alternative power.
