The power supply at your business location will be temporarily interrupted in the near future while we work on the power grid in your neighbourhood. This maintenance work helps prevent unsafe situations and greatly reduces the likelihood of unexpected power outages. We realise temporary power outages are inconvenient for you and always strive to minimise any disruptions as a result of our maintenance work. The following tips can help you make the best of the situation.

Things to
arrange in advance

Alternative: emergency power generator

  • Rent an emergency power generator if you cannot or do not want to have to operate without electricity. An emergency power generator will provide electricity if the power supply is interrupted. You can rent an emergency generator from a DIY store, machine rental company or emergency generator specialist.
  • If you already have an emergency generator, make sure you still have enough fuel.

Temperature of your building & equipment 

  • Turn up the heating if it gets cold. Make sure to do so the evening before the power cut. This will ensure that your building does not cool down suddenly. After all, your central heating boiler will generally stop working if the electricity supply is interrupted. This also applies if you have district heating.
  • Turn down the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. Make sure to do so one day before the power cut. This will ensure that your products are still usable after the power outage.

Payment options

  • Let your customers know in advance that they will only be able to pay cash. If you have a cash register or ATM, you will not be able to use it during the power outage.

Maintaining equipment performance 

  • You will need to take measures to secure your business: your security cameras will not work during the outage.
  • Make sure to inform your alarm centre about the power outage. Your alarm system may unintentionally send out an alarm. Your system may also be deactivated. Make sure to make the necessary preparations for this eventuality.
  • Charge all devices such as laptops, mobile telephones, tablets and powerbanks to 100% in advance.
  • Protect your devices against voltage fluctuations. Equipment in the Netherlands must be able to withstand these fluctuations. However, you can purchase various products that safeguard against overvoltage in order to provide additional protection for your sensitive equipment.
  • Make sure you have enough drinking and domestic water if your business is located on a high floor. Your water supply may not work during the power cut because the pump system runs on electricity.

Important measures on
the day of the power cut

Lifts, doors & porticos

  • Do not use the lift to avoid the risk of getting stuck when the power is cut. Make sure the lift is on the ground floor. Any portico lighting will also be switched off during the power cut.
  • Set any automatic doors to manual control in order to keep your location accessible.

Temperature of your building & equipment 

  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed during the power cut. After all, food tends to spoil faster when the temperature of your products rises:
    • Your food will keep for about 4 hours in a fridge that is turned off.
    • Food will keep for about 24 hours in a half-full freezer that is turned off. It will keep for 48 hours if the freezer is full.
    The temperature of your product determines whether it is still edible. The website of Het Voedingscentrum offers useful tips.
  • Make sure the warmth inside doesn't escape if it's cold outside. You can achieve this by closing all windows, doors and curtains. Leave any shutters open or set them to manual operation for your own safety.
  • Preheat water for coffee or tea. Store this water in a thermos flask. There probably also won't be any hot water coming out of the tap: your electricity will be cut off temporarily, which will generally disable your heating boiler.

Maintaining equipment performance 

  • Activate your internet hotspot on your mobile phone, tablet or laptop in order to access the internet. Your WiFi router won't work when the power is out.
  • Unplug any sensitive devices from the wall socket in order to make sure they don't malfunction when the power comes back on. Sensitive appliances are those that are sensitive to power fluctuations, such as computers and laptops, televisions, appliances that run on electric motors and those that contain a lot of coils and/or electronics.
  • Turn off the main switch of your power generation system if you produce electricity yourself and feed it back into the grid. (this includes solar panels, generators or wind turbines). If not, you will keep the electricity grid live which is unsafe for our technicians and too much of a burden on your system.

Stedin Netbeheer is authorised to interrupt the supply of electricity on the grounds of the 1998 Electricity Act. We are not liable for any damage caused by interruptions to the power supply.