© dpa
Employees of the substation on Argentinische Allee stand side by side behind a fence. In the foreground is a trailer with the inscription ‘We connect Berlin’.
© dpa
Construction work at the site of the cable fire.
© dpa
A person waits for their mobile phone to charge in an emergency shelter during a power outage in south-west Berlin.
© dpa
During a power outage in south-west Berlin, an excavator picks up beams for the construction site in front of the burnt-out cable bridge.
© dpa
Members of the volunteer fire brigade provide information to a passer-by at an emergency call centre on Mexikoplatz following a power outage.
© dpa
Passers-by stand in the light of a fire brigade aid station on Mexikoplatz during a power outage in south-west Berlin.
Power was fully restored to all affected areas on Wednesday, one day ahead of schedule.
Updated: 12 January 2026, 10 am
Note: This page is no longer being updated.
The power outage was caused by a fire on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal, which damaged several cables to the nearby Lichterfelde power station. All households were fully reconnected on Wednesday (7 January).
Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) is offering assistance exclusively to those affected by the power outage in the south-west of the city. In addition to the usual free disposal options for bulky waste and old electrical appliances at the Hegauer Weg recycling centre (Hegauer Weg 17, 14163 Berlin), it will also be possible to dispose of spoiled food that cannot be disposed of in the organic waste bin free of charge until 17 January 2026.
The centre will be open this week during the following hours:
A second temporary high-voltage line was put into operation on Saturday. “It provides additional security for the power supply in the affected area,” said Stromnetz Berlin. The connection was made as planned without any further power interruptions. The two temporary lines will remain in operation until the original grid status has been restored. Berlin's Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) declared the major incident over on Friday. The power supply in Steglitz-Zehlendorf is stable again, Spranger said, and the conditions for a major incident no longer exist.
The SHK Guild Berlin (plumbing, heating, air conditioning) provides information on restarting heating systems. According to this, oil and gas heating systems should start up automatically unless they were drained during the power outage. If the heating systems do not start, those affected can press the fault clearance button. Heat pumps and monoblock systems, on the other hand, must be restarted by a specialist company. The guild's website lists relevant specialist companies.
To heat pipes, walls, floors and interior fittings in a way that protects the materials, heaters should not be set to the highest temperature immediately. All pipes must be carefully checked for noise, unusual odours and water damage, both indoors and outdoors. To prevent mould growth, regular ventilation is advisable. Electrical appliances should also not be switched on all at once, but one after the other. In the event of malfunctions in electrical appliances, especially ventilation systems, instantaneous water heaters and air conditioning systems, as well as for the reprogramming of heating systems, specialist companies should be commissioned.
Those affected who stayed at one of the partner hotels in the visitBerlin Partnerhotels e.V. network can apply for a refund. This applies to costs for overnight stays during the power outage up to and including the night from Wednesday to Thursday (8 January), provided that the booking was made by 2:20 pm on 7 January.
Costs can only be covered if there are no priority benefits from third parties. Priority is given in particular to insurance benefits, such as those from building insurance, household insurance or other insurance policies that cover the costs of hotel accommodation. A corresponding declaration must be submitted with the application.
The hotel bill can be submitted for reimbursement together with proof of identity, proof of affected status and a declaration that no priority benefits from third parties exist to the following email address: stromausfall-kosten@ba-sz.berlin.de.