Network Outage Review

February 2024 storm-related power outages

On Tuesday 13 February and Thursday 22 February, extreme weather resulted in power outages across Victoria.

Network Outage Review

A Network Outage Review has been commissioned into the system response to the 13 February 2024 storms, led by a panel of independent experts.

The expert panel will be chaired by Rosemary Sinclair, the former CEO of Energy Consumers Australia, and will include Gerard Brody, the former chief executive of the Consumer Action Law Centre, and Kevin Kehl, an electrical engineer and former executive leader at Powerlink Queensland and Energex.

The Review will seek input from the Australian Energy Market Operator, Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Safe Victoria, the Essential Services Commission, and other regulators.

The expert panel will deliver an interim report to the Minister in June and a final report in August 2024. For more information, please see the terms of reference.

Community and stakeholder views

Community and stakeholders will have opportunities to participate through public panel meetings or written submissions to the review.

The Network Outage Review Panel has undertaken consultation with communities and businesses on Saturday 23 March and Sunday 24 March at Mirboo North, on Saturday 4 May in Monbulk and Emerald and on Sunday 5 May in Cockatoo and Gembrook.

See below for a summary of what the community said.

Prolonged Power Outage Payment

Applications for the February 2024 Prolonged Power Outage Payment (PPOP) closed on 10 April 2024. Applicants who submitted an application to AusNet or Powercor Australia by 11.59pm on 10 April 2024 and meet the eligibility requirements will receive their PPOP payment. Applicants seeking an update on their application should contact their distributor.

The PPOP program, funded by the Victorian Government and Australian Governments, provided financial relief to households and businesses that were without power for seven or more cumulative days due to extreme weather events on Tuesday, 13 February 2024 and Thursday, 22 February 2024.

AusNet Services and Powercor Australia are supporting the delivery of this relief payment to customers in its electricity distribution network.

Subject to the below eligibility criteria, the Prolonged Power Outage Payment provided:

• $1,920 per week for households for up to 3 weeks, depending on the length of time the household was without power.
• $2,927 per week for small businesses for up to 3 weeks, depending on the length of time the business was without power.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment, residential customers must:

• have a residential electricity account that is registered against a national meter identification number (NMI) for the AusNet or Powercor Australia electricity distribution networks (electricity account holder)
• be an electricity account holder of a property that was without power for 7 days cumulatively, within a two week (14 day) period, from Tuesday 13 to Tuesday 27 February 2024 as a result of severe weather events on Tuesday 13 February and Thursday 22 February
• have not applied for, or received a Prolonged Power Outage Payment, for an electricity account that is registered against the same NMI in relation to the same period
• made an application to AusNet or Powercor Australia in the specified form, by no later than 11.59pm on 10 April 2024.

For detailed information and guidance on applying for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment, please refer to the guidelines for residential customers.

Businesses were eligible if they:

• have a business electricity account that is registered against a national meter identification number (NMI) for the AusNet or Powercor Australia electricity distribution networks (Electricity Account Holder)
• have the Electricity Account Holder in the name of the business' legal name or trading name
• operate from a location that was without power for 7 days cumulatively, as a result of severe weather events on Tuesday 13 February 2024 and Thursday 22 February within a 2-week (14 day) period), from 13 February 2024
• have an annual Victorian payroll of $10 million or less in 2022/2023 on an ungrouped basis*
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 12.01am Tuesday 13 February 2024
• are registered with the responsible Federal or State regulator
• have not applied for, or received, a Prolonged Power Outage Payment for an electricity account that is registered against the same NMI in relation to the same period
• made an application to AusNet or Powercor Australia in the specified form, by no later than 11.59pm on 10 April 2024.

*Where a business is in a payroll group, the payroll eligibility criteria apply to each business in the payroll group. That is, any member of a group with an annual Victorian taxable payroll of up to $10 million in 2022-2023 can apply.

For detailed information and guidance on applying for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment, please refer to the guidelines for businesses.

Other customer support

AusNet Energy Resilience Community Fund

Customers who do not meet the eligibility criteria for PPOP but were impacted by the February storm events may be eligible for a financial hardship grant from AusNet Services.

Low income households that were without power for between 3 and 7 days are eligible to apply for a $300 grant. Small businesses that were without power for more than 3 days, and have incurred uninsured losses as a result, are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $5,000.

Applications are open and further information on eligibility and how to apply is available on the AusNet website.

Relief and recovery support is also available on the VicEmergency website.

Page last updated: 27/05/24