After a fire or a storm, before the power comes back
Treat every fallen line as live, keep well back and call SA Power Networks on 13 13 66, or 000 if anyone's in danger. If a bushfire came close to your property, SA Power Networks won't reconnect it until a qualified electrician has confirmed the wiring is safe and given you an Electrical Compliance Certificate. Book that electrician as soon as you're allowed back.
Living with the Hills' weather and fire history
Fires that changed the Hills
A fire on 20 February 1980 destroyed 51 homes in one day. On Ash Wednesday in 1983, more than 60% of the houses South Australia lost were in the Mount Lofty Ranges. The Cudlee Creek fire from 20 December 2019 destroyed 84 homes around Gumeracha, Lobethal, Woodside and nearby towns.
Hail, snow and storms
The Hills are a few degrees cooler than the plains, see a light snowfall every three to four years, and get large hail more often. In June 2026, storms cut power to Balhannah, Carey Gully and Mount George among other places.
Almost all houses
At the 2021 Census, 95.9% of occupied homes in the council area were separate houses, averaging 3.4 bedrooms. Only 10.6% were rented.
Old German towns
Hahndorf and Lobethal were founded as German settlements and their buildings still show it. Older stone homes often need new wiring threaded carefully through thick walls.
The electrical jobs that are different up here
Your own poles and lines. Plenty of Hills properties have poles and overhead lines past the network's connection point. Those belong to the owner, and SA Power Networks recommends getting them checked every year before bushfire season, after big storms, and whenever you think something's damaged. Private power poles has the detail.
Power cuts on fire days. Power can go out in bushfire weather with no fire nearby, and SA Power Networks may switch off supply in extreme conditions. For homes on tank water with an electric pump, or anyone relying on powered medical equipment, it's worth talking to an electrician about backup options.
Sheds, studios and outbuildings. Long underground runs to a shed or second dwelling need the right cable size and their own protection. An electrician who does rural work regularly will get this right first time.
Where we'd start on a Hills property
Before the next fire season, we'd walk the property with an electrician and look at everything from the street to the house: private poles, overhead lines near trees, the meter box and the board. It's the one inspection a year that really earns its keep up here.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.