What usually needs doing in an older Kew house
A switchboard that suits how the house is used now. An old fuse board wasn't designed for a kitchen full of appliances, ducted heating and an electric car. An upgrade adds safety switches and the spare room new circuits need.
An asbestos check before any drilling. The Victorian Government's Asbestos Hub says a home built or renovated before 1990 likely contains asbestos, and WorkSafe Victoria lists switchboards and their backing boards as a usual place to find it. An electrician who works on old boards will check before cutting into one.
Rewiring the worst circuits first. In a large house it's common to replace the oldest cabling in stages, starting with whatever an inspection flags, rather than doing every room at once.
An EV charger at home. Solar Victoria says any electrician can install one, though it's best to pick one with experience. On CitiPower's network, charger applications go through its mySupply portal.
Kew's houses and power, in five facts
Older than most of Melbourne
Kew's population roughly tripled between 1910 and World War II. The Glenferrie Road precinct (HO150) still has early mansions and 1880s housing from the Edgevale and Doona Hill estates.
Half houses, a quarter flats
At the 2021 Census, 50.5% of Kew's 9,069 occupied dwellings were separate houses and 25.6% were flats or apartments. 28.6% were rented, so the Victorian 2-yearly rental check applies to plenty of them.
Two CitiPower zone substations
CitiPower's 2023 planning report says its Kew and Deepdene zone substations both supply the Kew area. A whole-street outage is CitiPower's job, on 13 12 80.
Kerbside chargers
In March 2026 CitiPower said its pole-mounted chargers in Hawthorn and Kew were the first of 100 in a trial. Kew has sites on Highfield Grove and opposite Parkhill Road.
Heritage gradings
Boroondara grades heritage places as significant, contributory or non-contributory, and the grading affects how it assesses permits. If your house is graded, check with council before work changes what the street sees, like a meter box or panels.
What you can do, and what's licensed work
You can
- Find out roughly when the house was built and when it was last renovated.
- Note which circuits trip, and what was running at the time.
- Press the test button on each safety switch, if you have them.
- Ask the agent or previous owner for any Certificates of Electrical Safety.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Any change at the switchboard or meter.
- Testing old cabling and replacing it.
- New circuits for a cooktop, heat pump or EV charger.
- Consumer mains work, which is prescribed and must be inspected before it's switched on.
Where we'd start in Kew
We'd get the switchboard and the oldest circuits inspected before planning any big new load. It tells you whether the board needs replacing first, and saves doing the same wall twice.
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.