The high street has been shut down by a second power cut in two weeks.
At around 9.30am shopkeepers put closed signs on their doors and shut them after the power went out in Wanstead.
Faulty electrical equipment is thought to be behind the blackout.
Workers from UK Power Network could be seen outside the NatWest trying to fix the problem, which UK Power Networks predicts will be resolved by 7pm.
It was hoped the electricity would be back on by 4pm, but that estimate was revised at 3.30pm.
A similar outage on Christmas Eve also led to shops closing.
Paul Canal tweeted: "Second power cut in less than a week on Wanstead High St.
"National Grid and EDF Energy must promise to compensate local traders and upgrade local system."
Indepedent traders and chain stores were affected, including Greggs, Tesco Express and Lighthouse Fish Bar
A message sent to residents from UK Power Networks explained engineers had diverted electricity around the faulty part of the network, restoring power to some customers.
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