ONGWEDIVA- The Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) has urged its customers to always report electricity outages, saying the company cannot respond to faults it is not aware of.
The call comes following complaints from residents that the electricity supply mostly goes off during the rainy season.
Nored spokesperson Lukas Simon said reporting outages helps technicians attend to problems faster.
“If customers do not report that the power is off, we will not know there is a problem. It is best for residents to report outages so they can be attended to,” Simon said.
Simon explained that electricity outages are either planned or unplanned.
Unplanned outages usually happen due to technical problems such as damaged equipment, faults on power lines or bad weather. Planned outages, on the other hand, are scheduled to allow maintenance work to be carried out safely.
Simon added that notices are shared through different communication platforms to reach as many people as possible. “Electricity problems increase during the rainy season. Heavy rain, strong winds and lightning often damage power lines and equipment, leading to frequent outages. In some cases, trees fall on lines or areas become flooded, making repairs more difficult,” he said.
Simon also said that during unplanned outages, electricity cannot always be restored immediately, especially at night.
Some areas are difficult to access in the dark, and safety concerns may delay repair work until conditions improve. “Sometimes we cannot restore power immediately because some areas are inaccessible at night,” he said.
Residents who experience electricity outages are urged to report them by calling Nored’s fault reporting number on 083 282 2123 and to provide clear location details. Meanwhile, some residents shared their frustration over frequent power cuts. Aron Indombo from Okaku ka Nangula, on the outskirts of Oshakati, said power outages disrupt daily activities at home, especially in the evenings.
“When electricity goes off, it affects cooking and children who need light to study,” Indombo said.
Erna Thomas from Onaanda also expressed disappointment, saying long power outages affect small businesses and cause food to spoil. “These outages are frustrating because businesses suffer losses when power takes long to return,” Onaanda said.
