A power cut, sometimes called a power outage or blackout, is a word for when the electric 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 poor 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. An uninterruptible power supply can protect sensitive equipment such as computers or other electronics during a power cut, allowing it to be properly shut down.