Tree on a line, or a line on the ground
Stay more than 10 metres away and assume it's live. Report it to United Energy on 13 20 99, and call 000 if anyone is hurt or in danger. Don't try to move branches off a powerline or a service line to the house.
Hastings, the wind and the wiring
Storm after storm
Hastings SES had 190 calls in the June 2021 storm and 176 jobs in the storm of 1 to 3 September 2024. United Energy listed Hastings among the hardest hit areas on 28 August 2024, when gusts reached 100 km/h.
One zone substation, two transformers
United Energy's Hastings zone substation supplies Hastings, Merricks, Somerville and Tyabb. Its 2025 planning report forecast load at risk there if one of its two transformers failed during high demand.
Built in the industrial boom
Significant residential development came in the 1960s and 1970s, spurred by the steel works, the Crib Point refinery and other industry on Western Port. Population growth plateaued in the 1970s and picked up again from the early 1990s.
Houses, and a third rented
At the 2021 Census, 72.8% of Hastings' homes were separate houses and 24.7% were semi-detached or townhouses. 30.8% were rented.
What a storm can leave behind in your house
A damaged service line or mast. A falling branch can pull on the line into your house or bend the bracket it's attached to. If the line is down, it's United Energy's call first. Repairs to the fittings on your house are usually an electrician's job after that.
Water in the ceiling. Rain through a lifted roof can reach light fittings, downlights and cables. If ceiling lights fill with water or the safety switch keeps tripping after rain, switch off and get it tested.
Power back on the street, not at home. United Energy's September 2024 updates said a customer still without supply once everyone else is restored may have a defect at their property. That's where an electrician comes in.
Older switchboards. A 1960s or 1970s house may still have a board without safety switches on every circuit, and storm repairs are a natural time to upgrade it.
What we'd do in Hastings
We'd make sure the trees near the house are kept well back from the line coming in, and that every circuit is behind a safety switch. Neither stops a storm, but both make it far less likely the storm turns into an electrical problem.
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.