Faults and Emergencies
Utility Distributors
Utility distributors are organizations responsible for managing and maintaining utility networks, such as electricity, gas, and water, within a specific geographic area. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the safe and reliable provision of essential services to customers, even during emergencies or service disruptions.
In the event of a fault or outage, it is important for customers to know how to contact their utility distributor to report the issue. The distributor will dispatch a crew to investigate the problem and restore service as quickly as possible. Some distributors have automated systems in place to detect faults and alert their teams to the issue.
Electricity distributors have public "outage maps" that you can find online that map out where the current impacts to the power supply are, planned or unplanned. You can report outages to the distributor to have it added to the map.
Depending on the utility and location, there may be multiple distributors responsible for different parts of the network. For example, one company may be responsible for electricity transmission while another manages distribution to individual homes and businesses. Likewise, different companies may provide gas or water services in different areas.
To ensure customers know how to contact their utility distributor in case of an emergency or outage, contact information is typically provided on utility bills or the distributor's website. Emergency contact numbers may also be posted on utility equipment such as electrical transformers or gas meters.
Customers should contact their utility provider/operator directly for general inquiries, billing, or other non-emergency matters. Remember, these numbers are for faults and emergencies only.
You can find a list of all the electricity emergency contact numbers in our article published here.
You can also find some water and sewage emergency numbers here: if your distribution area isn't listed, you can find this information online.
Water and Sewerage: Contact your local water and sewerage utility's emergency number for issues related to water supply or sewerage. For example, in Melbourne, call City West Water on 131 691 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Gas: Contact your local gas distributor's emergency number for issues related to gas supply. For example, in Sydney, call Jemena Gas Networks on 1800 676 300 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
It is crucial to note that if you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, you should immediately leave the area and call your gas distributor's emergency number from a safe location.
If there is an emergency where there is a risk to life or property, please call emergency services by dialing 000.