Power cuts remind us of how vulnerable our modern-day society is. Many of the things that surround us in modern life require electricity and everything is suddenly at a standstill. Sometimes it may be a blown fuse, sometimes the problem may be more serious.

General guidelines

Sometimes major power cuts affect large sections of our society. Check first of all to see how extensive the power cut is. Are the lights on in your neighbour's apartment? Are the street lamps on outside? If everything is dark and quiet outside, you'll just have to wait until the power comes back on again or ring your electricity service provider. You must not ring SOS Alarm or the emergency services (112). These lines can be important to keep open as some people affected by the power cut may need emergency help. You can probably get more information by listening to a battery-operated radio.

If yours is the only apartment without power, you should first of all check your fuse box. See the instructions below. When you are sure all your fuses are working properly, take a look at the main fuses in the building. These are often somewhere else in the building and you will therefore need to contact your house caretaker. Avoid opening your refrigerator and freezer, as your food will keep longer if the doors remain closed. Whilst waiting for the power to come back on, you can switch off everything that was on when the power cut occurred. You can also be well prepared: get into the habit of always having a working torch close to hand, on top of or next to the fuse box, and some new fuses within easy reach.

How do I change a fuse?

Fuses protect the electrical wiring and appliances from overload. There is a metal wire inside each fuse, which melts if the fuse becomes overloaded or if there is a short-circuit. When the fuse blows, the electricity cuts out. Find out why the fuse has blown and rectify the fault before replacing it. Perhaps you had too many appliances working at the same time. Each fuse is equipped with a small coloured dot, which tells you the amperage of the fuse. This coloured dot normally falls off if the metal wire inside melts. Unscrew the fuse casing and remove the broken fuse. You can see that the base plate is the same colour as the dot on the fuse. Check to ensure the new fuse is of the right colour.

New apartments are fitted with automatic fuses and earth-breakers (white switches on the fuse-box). If a fuse cuts out, you merely flick the switch back up again. Turn off all sources that consume electricity, such as lamps, cookers rings, electrical appliances, etc., before you flick the switch back up.