West Australian businesses still without power

Nearly 20,000 homes and businesses in Western Australia are still without power and may not be connected for days.

The state has suffered major storms over the past few days, disrupting electricity coverage. Thirty schools have already been shut until power comes back on.

State-owned utility provider Western Power has worked to connect more than 150,000 customers back to the grid, but the state’s key business groups have already lamented the effects the blackout will have on its members.

An outage payment scheme is available, and eligible customers can claim up to $80 in compensation.

While a total figure for expected compensation payments is still being calculated, some analysts believe it could run into the tens of millions of dollars.

WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive James Pearson said businesses would have experienced “significant disruption and costs”.

This article first appeared on SmartCompany.