The Australian summer has started to unleash its power. On Monday, the Victorian town of Walpeup reached 47.1°C, and towns in Queensland, western New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory all hit temperatures above 45°C.

More sweltering days and nights are expected. The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts above-average temperatures for most of Australia this summer.

What’s more, bushfire experts predict an increased fire risk across vast regions of the continent. Already this season, an out-of-control bushfire struck Creswick in central Victoria after Monday’s extreme heat.

All this is a dangerous cocktail for the electricity grid. Increasing temperatures puts a strain on supplies, while bushfire smoke can limit the electricity produced by solar panels. And troublingly, heatwaves and bushfires are set to worsen as climate change continues.

Here, we explain the challenges ahead this summer, and outline simple household measures to help keep your electricity supplies flowing.

Sometimes demand for electricity is greater than supply. This is most common in hot weather during the evening peak when, for example, many people return home and turn on their energy-hungry air-conditioning units at the same time.

Energy networks say the strain is greatest on the third and fourth consecutive hot days, when air-conditioners are turned up to combat heat that has accumulated in........

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