Menai at a glance
A young suburb, now middle-aged
Urban release of the Menai district began in the 1970s, and the suburb itself was developed from the early 1980s. Plenty still have the board they were built with.
Houses, owned by the people in them
75.2% of Menai's 3,436 occupied homes were separate houses at the 2021 Census and 21.5% were townhouses or similar. 47.6% had a mortgage and only 14.7% were rented.
Fire has come close
Menai was affected in the 1994 eastern seaboard fires and again in 2017 to 2018. On 15 April 2018 a fire from Glenfield ran toward Menai on strong westerlies, with ember attack in nearby Illawong and Bangor.
Ausgrid network
Menai is inside Ausgrid's network area, so Ausgrid's solar export and EV rules apply, and faults go to 13 13 88.
Solar upgrade or EV charger: what changes on an Ausgrid home
| New or bigger solar | EV wall charger | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| What Ausgrid says | From late 2026, new and upgraded systems need an inverter that can talk to the network over the internet. | You may need to notify Ausgrid, depending on the installation. | |
| Export or supply limits | Flexible exports allow up to 10 kW on single phase and 30 kW on three phase, which Ausgrid can turn down to 1.5 kW when needed. | If the supply into the house needs upgrading, a connection application is required. Ausgrid recommends your electrician lodges it. | |
| The meter | Metering changes go through your retailer. | Homes over 20 years old that haven't been rewired may need a meter upgrade, arranged through your retailer. | |
| Coming up | NSW Emergency Backstop rules phase in from 23 November 2026 for new and upgrading systems. Existing systems that aren't changing aren't affected. | A Level 2 wall charger should be installed by a licensed electrician, ideally one with EV charger experience. |
Why the board is usually the first conversation
A charger needs its own circuit and protection, and an original 1980s board may have no spare space or fewer safety switches than a modern one. An electrician who installs chargers will look at the board, the main supply and the meter in one visit, and tell you whether the board has to change first.
Planning solar and a charger? Say so at the start, so the board is done once.
What we'd book first
For a Menai house about to get a car charger, we'd book a switchboard and supply check before buying the charger. It shows what the job involves and whether Ausgrid or your retailer needs to be part of it. NSW Home Energy Saver interest-free loans can cover a Level 2 charger and a switchboard upgrade. We'll match you with one licence-checked local electrician who does both, if we have one near you.
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.