Electricity is produced by generators, moved at high voltage through transmission, coordinated by system and market operators, stepped down into distribution networks, then delivered through feeders, transformers and service lines to customer meters.
The organisation that accepts your bill payment is not necessarily the organisation responsible for every outage. The fault location determines who can fix it.
The essentials
- National or regional generation and transmission event.
- DisCo feeder or transformer outage.
- Street or service-line fault.
- Premises wiring, breaker or meter issue.
What to check first
Start with the evidence already in front of you. A precise account, meter, product or safety detail is more useful than guessing from the outcome alone.
- National or regional generation and transmission event.
- DisCo feeder or transformer outage.
- Street or service-line fault.
- Premises wiring, breaker or meter issue.
Step by step
Work through the existing transaction, account or installation in order. Keep the reference and result from each step before moving to the next.
- Check whether the outage affects a wide area or one property.
- Look for a safe local breaker indication without opening equipment.
- Report network faults to the serving distributor.
- Use a qualified electrician for confirmed premises-side faults.
Mistakes to avoid
These shortcuts often turn a traceable problem into a second payment, a lost evidence trail or a safety risk.
- Assuming buying another token will restore a network outage.
- Approaching transformers or fallen lines to inspect them.
- Blaming a meter when the entire feeder is out.
When to escalate
Give the DisCo a precise location, feeder or account identifier and the extent of the outage. Report dangerous network equipment as an emergency.
Frequently asked
Does a DisCo generate electricity?
Distribution companies primarily deliver and bill electricity within their networks; generation and transmission are separate parts of the supply chain.
Can PayTavo fix an outage?
No. PayTavo handles bill payment and delivery tracking. Network faults must be handled by the electricity network operator.
Research sources
Official guidance, product information and public sources were reviewed on 27 July 2026.