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Perth, Western Australia

Electricians in PerthOn a grid that isn't joined to any other.

Perth runs on its own grid, and its electrical problems have a local flavour. Light rain on dusty, salty insulators can start pole top fires and black out whole suburbs, summer heat leans hard on older switchboards, and plenty of homes still have the board they were built with. Tell us the job and your postcode, and we'll match it with one licence-checked local electrician who does that kind of work, where we have one.

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Perth city skyline seen across the Swan River with trees along the foreshore.
Photo: Tibor Janas on Pexels

What's different about electrical work in Perth?

Start with the grid. Perth's poles and wires are run by Western Power as part of the South West Interconnected System, which isn't connected to any other grid. Every outage, fallen line and new meter in the metro area comes back to that one organisation.

Then there's the way Perth loses power. Western Power says pole top fires start when light rain or humidity mixes with dust, salt and pollution built up on insulators, and salt near the coast is one of the riskier settings. On 4 March 2024 about 70 of these faults cut power across Perth and the Perth Hills, with around 47,000 homes and businesses off at the peak. Western Power has trialled washing insulators in Cockburn, Rockingham and Swan, and plans to treat or replace them at more than 100,000 locations by mid 2027.

And the heat. Perth averages 26 days a year above 35 °C, and summer 2021 to 22 brought 11 days above 40 °C. That's when air conditioners, pool pumps and second fridges all run at once, and an old board or a tired circuit shows its age.

Perth at a glance

Network: Western Power

Outages and fallen lines anywhere in the metro area: 13 13 51. Treat any fallen line or pole as live and stay at least 8 metres away. If someone's in danger, call 000 first.

Every shock gets reported

On Western Power's network, any electric shock has to be reported, even a slight tingle from a tap. Tenants tell the network first, then the landlord.

Storms that cut the power

Tornadoes in Bicton and Bunbury on 16 May 2005 left more than 100,000 customers without power. On 22 March 2010, hail of 4 to 6 cm fell from the northern coastal suburbs to south Perth, and FESA and the SES had more than 3000 requests for help.

Fire season on the hills edge

The Wooroloo fire in February 2021 destroyed 86 homes, and Roleystone and Kelmscott lost 69 in 2011. On Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger days, Western Power won't switch power back on after an unplanned outage, so it can stay off into the evening.

Housing from every era

Brick inter-war bungalows, post-war brick veneer and the brick ranch homes of 1945 to 1980 sit closer in. Out on the edges, the City of Wanneroo grew by almost 110,000 people between 2001 and 2016.

Streets going underground

More than 100,000 properties on the main WA grid have switched to underground power since 1996, and Western Power's targeted program could convert up to 50,000 more in councils including Bayswater, Canning, Melville, Stirling and Swan.

The jobs that come up most in Perth, and why

Switchboards in post-war homes. A house from the 1950s to the 1970s that still has its original board may have fuses and no safety switches. In WA, every power point and lighting circuit has to be protected by safety switches before a sale settles, with at least two as the minimum, and landlords need them too. Switchboard upgrades in Perth has the local detail.

More load on the supply. Since 11 April 2023 the standard household supply on Western Power's network has been 63 amps on single phase. When new circuits would push a home past that, the electrical contractor has to assess the demand and apply for more. Ducted air con, induction cooktops and chargers are the usual culprits.

Chargers and solar in newer suburbs. The northern corridor keeps growing, with Alkimos, Yanchep and Two Rocks named as Wanneroo's future centres. EV charger installation in Perth explains Western Power's charger rules.

Smoke alarms before a sale or lease. WA wants working, mains-powered alarms no more than 10 years old before a home changes hands or is rented out. Smoke alarms in Perth covers who can fit what.

Urgent faults. When a safety switch won't reset or a power point scorches, it's a job for an electrician, but outages and fallen lines are Western Power's. Emergency electricians in Perth sorts out who to call.

What we'd do in Perth

We'd put 13 13 51 in every phone in the house and check you're getting Western Power's outage texts, which more than a million households are signed up for automatically. If your board still has fuses, or no safety switches, we'd have it looked at before the next summer of air con, not in the middle of a heatwave. And before anyone starts, we'd look up their EC number on WA's Online Licence Search.

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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.

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Services

Electrical jobs in Perth

Switchboard upgrades in PerthOld fuses, the 63 amp limit and safety switches before settlement: switchboard upgrades the Perth way.EV charger installation in PerthWestern Power's 7 kW rule, solar export caps and older boards: home EV charging in Perth.Smoke alarm installation in PerthWA's sale and rental rules, the 2015 interconnection line and who fits what: smoke alarms in Perth.Emergency electricians in Perth000, Western Power or an electrician: who to call in a Perth electrical emergency, and what to do first.Ceiling fan installation in PerthHot summers, alfresco areas and WA's roof space rule: what to know before a fan goes up in Perth.Data cabling in PerthBrick walls, long roof runs and WA's rules on who does what: wired data points for Perth homes.TV antenna installation in PerthBickley, Carmel and the local repeaters: getting TV reception right in Perth, and where an electrician fits in.Commercial electricians in PerthEC and EW licences, Western Power notices and outage planning: commercial electrical work in Perth.Test and tag in PerthWhen WA requires it, how often WorkSafe WA suggests, and what the record must show: test and tag in Perth.

Your suburb

Suburbs and areas around Perth

Questions

Straight answers.

The power's out across my Perth suburb. Who do I call?

Western Power, on 13 13 51. Outages and fallen lines are the network's job, not an electrician's. If only your home is dark and the neighbours have lights, check the switchboard for a tripped safety switch before you call anyone.

Why does Perth lose power when it drizzles?

Usually pole top fires. Western Power says light rain or humid air can mix with the dust, salt and pollution on insulators and start a fire at the top of a pole. It's washing and replacing insulators to cut the risk, but it still happens, so keep a torch where you can find it.

Is there any payment for a long outage in Perth?

Possibly. The State Government's extended outage payment, run by Western Power, applies to network outages lasting 12 continuous hours or more. Claims have to be lodged within 60 days.

How do I check a Perth electrician's licence?

Use the WA Online Licence Search, linked from Building and Energy's site. The business needs an electrical contractor's licence starting with EC, and the person doing the work an electrician's licence starting with EW. When the job's done, you should get an Electrical Safety Certificate within 28 days.

Ready for a sparky in Perth?

Your postcode and a few quick questions, and we look for the licence-checked local specialist for your job.

Related help

Helpful next

Electricians in Western AustraliaEC and EW numbers, the Online Licence Search, the Electrical Safety Certificate and the rules for selling or renting.Switchboard upgradesOld fuses, no safety switches or no room for a charger: when to upgrade and what changes.Emergency electriciansSparks, shocks, burning smells or no power: who to call first, every network's fault line, and what to do next.Underground power and power polesGoing from overhead to underground, or a private pole on your land: who's responsible and who does the work.How to check an electrician's licenceEvery state's licence register, which number to ask for, and the red flags before work starts.Smoke alarm laws in Western AustraliaWA's sale and rental trigger, mains power, the 10-year limit, and who's allowed to connect the alarms.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with your state regulator if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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