Multiple power outages cause distress to retirement village customers

Published on 23 April 2026

Gary* lives in a retirement village where electricity is provided through an embedded network. Embedded networks are common in retirement villages and are a privately owned energy network.

Gary’s retirement village had recently built an expansion and welcomed more residents. Ever since, the village had experienced multiple power outages. These outages occurred in the heat of summer, causing a lot of distress to the elderly residents. Gary, acting as a spokesperson for the residents, complained to the site operator, who explained there was work underway to upgrade the capacity of the network, but it had been delayed.

Unable to get a clear answer on when the delays and power outages would end, Gary came to EWOQ for help.

Here’s how EWOQ helped

We launched an investigation and contacted the embedded network operator who confirmed that the power outages were due to the increased demand from new residents. They confirmed the equipment to update the network was onsite and ready to go, but there were legal and procedural paperwork that needed to be sorted before the energy distributor, who manage the network’s connection to the grid, would complete the upgrades.  

We worked closely with the site operator and the energy distributor to monitor the situation and ensured progress was being made to complete the works.

Outcome

The embedded network upgrades were completed within a month of us opening an investigation. Gary was thankful to finally have the situation resolved.

What can you do?

Gary’s case highlights the importance of the smooth running of embedded networks. Embedded network site operators should have plans for ongoing maintenance and upgrades to their networks to ensure their customers have reliable access to their electricity supply.

If you’re a customer that has issues with ongoing power outages, make sure to keep a personal record of the number of outages and their duration. Speak to your embedded network operator, or if not in an embedded network, your energy distributor about the outages. If you’re unable to resolve the issue with them, we can help.

For more advice on unplanned outages, visit Power outages and supply.

*name changed to protect privacy.