- Home
- Guides & FAQ
- What should I do if my home has no electricity?
What should I do if my home has no electricity?
Check for danger first, then use safe observations to establish whether the outage affects your property or the wider area. Network faults need the distribution operator; internal faults need an electrician. Unlit equipment may still be live.
Is it a wider outage or just my property?
From a safe place, ask neighbours whether they have power and check the distribution operator’s official outage information on your phone. Street lighting is not conclusive because it may use a different circuit. Note which rooms, lights and sockets are affected.
If you noticed a protective device trip, follow the separate guidance for tripping breakers and leave the affected circuit off. If no trip was observed, a property-only outage can still involve the incoming supply, metering or internal wiring. Do not open panels, meter enclosures or sealed equipment to investigate.
Who should I contact about the loss of supply?
For a suspected network fault, use the official fault-reporting channel on your electricity bill. E-REDES serves the Algarve. Your electricity retailer handles account or contract questions; an electrician investigates internal installation faults. In an apartment, notify the building manager if shared areas are affected.
- Have the address and CPE supply-point identifier from your electricity bill ready.
- Report when power was lost, whether neighbours are affected and any damage seen from a safe distance.
- Tell the person you contact if essential medical equipment depends on electricity; follow your care team’s backup plan.
How do I stay safe while waiting?
Use a torch rather than candles and keep fridge and freezer doors closed. Stay away from fallen cables, flooded electrical areas and damaged equipment. Never connect a generator to a wall socket or run fuel-powered equipment indoors. Power may return without warning, and solar or battery systems may still energise parts of the installation.
If there is fire, smoke or immediate danger, leave the danger area and call 112. This includes an immediate medical emergency; do not wait for a repair visit.
Common questions
Can an electrician restore power during a network outage?
An electrician cannot repair the public distribution network. The operator must resolve that fault; an electrician can assess separate damage or problems within your property.
Do solar panels keep the house powered during an outage?
Not necessarily. Many grid-connected systems shut down when the network fails. Backup power requires a system designed for that purpose; do not modify connections yourself.
What if neighbours have power again but I do not?
Check the operator’s update and report the remaining outage. If it appears limited to your installation, arrange an electrician rather than attempting repeated resets or opening equipment.
Other services
- 24/7 Emergency CalloutsLost power, burning smell or sparking socket? We respond fast, day or night.
- General Electrical RepairsDead sockets, tripping fuse boards, faulty switches and lights, diagnosed and fixed fast.