If half your house has no power, the most common cause is a tripped safety switch or circuit breaker that has cut power to one group of circuits. Your switchboard is the first place to check.
On older boards, it can be a blown fuse. If your home has a three-phase supply, losing one phase from the street can also leave part of the house dark.
What causes half the house to lose power?
✓ A tripped safety switch. One safety switch often protects several circuits, so when it trips, a whole section of the house can go off at once.
✓ A tripped circuit breaker. Lights and power points are usually on separate circuits. That’s why you might find the power points not working but the lights are, or the other way round.
✓ A blown fuse. Older homes with ceramic fuse boards lose power to a circuit when a fuse blows.
✓ A lost phase. Some homes get power from the street on three separate supplies, called phases. If one drops out, the rooms on that phase go dark while the rest keep working. This is a supply problem, not something to fix at your board.
✓ A fault in the wiring or the switchboard itself. This needs a licensed electrician to find.
What should I check when part of the house has no power?
- Check your switchboard. Look for any switch that has dropped to the off position, or sits partway between on and off.
- Unplug appliances in the rooms without power. A faulty appliance is a common reason a safety switch trips.
- Reset the switch once. Push it firmly back to on. If it holds, plug things back in one at a time to find the culprit.
- If it trips straight away, leave it off. Don’t keep resetting it. Our guide on what to do when a safety switch won’t turn back on explains why.
- If nothing has tripped, check your neighbours. Ask next door, or check Ausgrid’s power outage map. If your board looks normal, the problem may be on the supply side, and you can report a partial loss of power to Ausgrid.
- Don’t open the board or touch any wiring. Leave covers on, and don’t try to repair a fuse or switch yourself.
- Call an electrician if it won’t reset or keeps tripping.
| What you might notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Power points are off but the lights work, or the other way round | A tripped safety switch or breaker on the power circuit | Unplug appliances, then reset it once |
| One circuit is off on an older ceramic fuse board | A blown fuse | Don’t try to repair it yourself. Call an electrician |
| Part of the house is off, but nothing at the board has tripped | A supply problem, such as a lost phase | Call Ausgrid on 13 13 88 |
| A switch won’t reset or keeps tripping | A faulty appliance, or a fault in the wiring or switchboard | Leave it off and call an electrician |
When to call Ausgrid, and when to call an electrician
Call Ausgrid on 13 13 88 for a fault with the supply, such as:
- fallen powerlines (stay at least 8 metres away)
- sparks from the wires or the connection to your house
- part of the house without power when nothing at your switchboard has tripped
If anyone is hurt, there’s a fire or someone has had an electric shock, call 000.
Call a licensed electrician if a safety switch or breaker won’t reset, keeps tripping, or if you notice a burning smell, buzzing or scorch marks at the board. During our operating hours (Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm), we prioritise emergency call-outs for dead circuits, burning smells and tripping mains.
One customer, Tom, put it simply: “Josh and his team worked tirelessly to help get the power back on at my place.”
Could your switchboard be the problem?
If part of your house keeps losing power, the board itself may be worn or overloaded, especially if it still has ceramic fuses or no safety switches. Our post on why your circuit breaker keeps tripping covers the common causes, and our guide to the signs you need to upgrade your switchboard explains what to look for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my power points not working but the lights are?
Power points and lights are usually on separate circuits, and power points are often on a safety switch. A tripped safety switch or breaker on the power circuit is the most likely cause. Unplug appliances, then reset it once.
Why does half my house have no power after a storm?
Water getting into outdoor power points or wiring can trip a safety switch, and storms can also damage the supply from the street. Read more about safety switches tripping after rain. If nothing has tripped, report it to Ausgrid.
Is it safe to reset a safety switch myself?
Yes, resetting a tripped switch once is fine. If it trips again straight away, leave it off and call an electrician.
Get help from Insight Electrical
We’re a family-owned team based in Redhead, with 40+ years combined experience looking after homes across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter. For faults, repairs and testing, see our electrical service and maintenance, or our switchboard upgrades if your board is the problem.
Call 0468 043 743 (Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm) or contact us online.