Storm Ophelia has caused havoc with people's electricity throughout the day leaving an estimated 360,000 customers without power.
#Ophelia Outage update: 360,000 customers across Ireland are left without power .https://t.co/tUSLr39VSH
— ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) October 16, 2017
Bernadette Maloney, head of corporate affairs for the ESB, told the Ray D'Arcy show that Ireland is experiencing "unprecedented" outages.
Ms Maloney said earlier that between "5-10pc" of ESB customers may have to go as long as 10 days without electricity.
A statement from the ESB read:
As of 4:30 pm, approximately 360,000 electricity customers are without power as a result of over 3,200 individual faults on the network across the country. Fallen trees on overhead lines are responsible for most of the damage to the network.
The majority of customers who have lost supply at present will be without power tonight and over a number of days.
Based on previous experience of Storm Darwin in 2014, where about 280,000 customers were left without supply, we can predict that it will take a number of days to restore power to all customers.
We are advising all customers impacted by outages that they should prepare to be without electricity for number of days. It is very important that any customers who use electrically powered medical devices should contact their healthcare professional to make alternative arrangements if necessary.
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Here is information on ESB's website on what to do before calling them about your electrical issues:
- Check if your neighbours are without power, or if your street lighting is not working. If either of these is the case, call the number below.
- Check if your trip switch is in the 'on' position or if your fuses have blown. If your trip switch has operated or a fuse has blown, turn off all your appliances before resetting the switch or replacing the fuse.
- Sometimes the ESB Networks' Main Fuse in your home or building may have blown. Call the number below to report the problem.
Call Us
- Phone 1850 372 999 to report a service interruption.
- Please quote your MPRN number if possible (shown on your bill as M10...). This will help us pinpoint your location.
Here's a video from the ESB on what to do if you find yourself with no power during a major storm:
You can check ESB's website to see if and how your electricity has been affected by the adverse weather.
