An Endeavour Energy spokeswoman said August and September were traditionally windy months.

She said the worst days were on August 15 and 17.

On August 15, 2300  homes in North Nowra and 440 in Albion Park lost electricity for three hours after branches fell on power lines.

Two days later 4915 homes in Ulladulla were cut off after a tree fell on lines.

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The spokeswoman said this year’s winds have not been any worse that previous years.

“We have had major wind storms in previous years which have interrupted supply to 10s of thousands of customers over multiple days,” she said.

It wasn’t the winds themselves that caused the problems, rather it was other items that got swept up and then hit power lines that cut services.

”The main impact is trees, branches and other debris being blown into power lines causing them to trip off to keep customers and the community safe,” the spokeswoman said.

“The network is designed to do this to help prevent sparking.

“Supply to affected customers is not restored until we have patrolled the area to make sure there is no damage and it is safe to restore supply.”

Homeowners can help reduce the effects of winds on power supply by ensuring they secure any loose items in the yard so they don’t blow away.

“This includes securing garden furniture, trampolines, play equipment and building materials which can become airborne in strong winds,” she said.

They can also ensure trees on their property were at least 2.5 metres away from power lines.

“If trees need trimming, we recommend customers engage a qualified arborist to safely remove branches too close to power lines as electricity can arc across to metal objects like ladders and saws,” she said.

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