Upgrading the network to meet growing demand

Demand for electricity is rising. Our customers are switching to electric cooktops, heaters, vehicles and other devices.

That's why we are delivering upgrading in residential areas across our network. In many cases, we replace an existing power pole with a slightly taller one that has a small substation attached to it. We then install new wires above the current powerlines.

As electricity demand increases, you may see more pole-mounted substations popping up in your neighbourhood. These upgrades help us keep your power safe and reliable, so you can use your appliances without interruption.

See the answers to our frequently asked questions below or download our fact sheet for more information.

If you still have questions, call us on 1300 131 689 or email majorprojects@powercor.com.au.

Why are these upgrades needed?

The popularity of electric household devices is growing the demand for electricity. In some areas, this can cause network voltage to fall.

Low voltage can have huge impacts on your everyday life. Without upgrades to help power your neighbourhood, you may experience:

flickering lights
interrupted car charging
Insufficient heating in your home

We recently asked customers experiencing low voltage how it affected their daily lives. They told us:

“Low voltage is worse than a power outage. I have power but I can’t actually do anything with it”.
“Flickering lights are so annoying that sometimes I just sit in the dark”.

“Sometimes my EV charger switches off randomly overnight, which means I can’t drive to work in the morning”.

Our upgrades help to maintain a stable supply so everybody's appliances work reliably.

FAQS

Undervoltage or low voltage is when our network can’t supply power at the rate appliances need to operate as designed.

Customers are embracing electric devices like cooktops, split system heaters and EV chargers. That's increasing demand for electricity from our network. Our upgrades support this growth and provide safe, reliable power for everybody.

We are delivering upgrades where they are needed most. This stops voltage levels falling too low and causing flickering lights, appliances to turn off, and even power outages.

It's our job to keep the electricity supply in your area within the right voltage range. Growing demand for power is putting downward pressure on voltage, which can lead to:

flickering lights
appliances turning off unexpectedly
power outages.

We may install a pole-mounted substation if power in your area moves outside the ideal voltage range. This upgrade will stabilise the electricity supply, so appliances work reliably year-round.

These medium-sized boxes contain electrical equipment that reduces voltages from power lines. They help us to deliver safe and reliable power to your home.

Details of the equipment that is typically installed:

Pole height: ~10.2 m above ground
Pole diameter: ~457 mm at the base and 270 mm at the top
Substation unit: 1845 mm in height and 2.5 tonnes in weight

You may currently have a ground-mounted substation in your neighbourhood. In some areas these substations need to be upgraded. Often there is not enough space to upgrade existing sites which is why they must become pole-mounted substations.

Yes. Pole-mounted substations are used widely and are safe for use in residential areas. There are 72,000 across the Powercor network and 800 across the CitiPower network.

No. Substations are designed to operate quietly. They have no moving parts and near-silent performance.

We're designing upgrades to provide the biggest benefit at the lowest cost. Undergrounding these assets would cost much more than installing them above ground. Ultimately, these costs would flow onto people’s electricity bills.

Initially, our engineers identify that an area needs an upgrade. Our project managers then find the most suitable power pole for a substation.

When choosing a location, we consider:

Visual impact – where possible, we use the side of a residential property or opposite vacant land or a park.
Safe access – crews need to access the substation to carry out maintenance.
Surrounding infrastructure – we try to avoid trees, driveways and other utility assets.

We do our best to find locations that balance these factors. However, we need to meet the growing demand for power and provide a safe and reliable supply.

We deliver letters to surrounding residents when a pole-mounted substation is needed. We will let you know where the pole and substation will be placed and when work will take place. We try to accommodate concerns, but these upgrades are important to provide reliable power supplies.

Pole-top transformers help to power you and your neighbourhood. This keeps your supply safe and reliable as electricity demand grows in your area.

Without these assets, your power quality could decline. This could cause flickering lights, appliances to turn off, and even power outages. Even though you haven’t installed new appliances yet, having these pole substations ensure that if you do install new appliances there won’t be any issues with supply.