Power cut

An electricity pylon, that often carries electricity. If these fail, there may be a power cut.

A power cut, sometimes called a power outage or blackout, is a word for when the power does not work in an area. It is sometimes caused by a power line (or electricity cable) falling down, but may also happen due to routine maintenance. In less well off countries, such as many in Africa, there are regular power cuts as more people try to use the electricity than there is to go around.