If water has been through the house
Leave it off
If it's safe to reach without standing in water, switch off at the main switch. Don't touch anything electrical that's wet.
Call for the right help
SES on 132 500 for storm or flood help. 000 if anyone has had a shock or there's fire. Ausgrid on 13 13 88 for wires down or a street outage.
Get it checked before power goes back on
Ausgrid says a flood-damaged property must be checked by a qualified electrical professional first, and air conditioners and pool pumps near the ground should stay off until inspected.
Keep the paperwork
Ask for the Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) for any repairs. Your insurer may want it.
Panania's history, and why it matters now
The 1956 flood
In February 1956, 300 mm of rain fell over two and a half days and flooded 1,000 homes across Sydney. Panania, East Hills and Milperra were among the worst-hit areas along the Georges River.
Built from 1946
Mass production of housing at Panania began in 1946 with 34 houses for ex-service families, and the suburb filled with fibro bungalows. The railway had reached the East Hills district in 1931.
Now being rebuilt
Many of those bungalows have become larger homes or two-storey duplexes. At the 2021 Census, 70.7% of Panania's 4,511 homes were separate houses and 24.1% were semis or duplexes.
Ausgrid network
Panania is inside Ausgrid's network area, so Ausgrid handles outages and fallen lines.
Original bungalow or new duplex?
The two need different things. An original fibro bungalow may still have its old meter board, and boards made before 1987 can contain asbestos, as can the fibro itself. A new duplex will have a modern board with safety switches, and the questions are about adding things: a charger, more solar, a pool pump.
If you're knocking down and rebuilding, the service line from the street is work for a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider, and your retailer arranges the meter.
After the water goes down
We'd keep the power off until an electrician has tested the circuits that got wet, even if things look dry. Water leaves corrosion and residue inside fittings that you can't see. Tell us your postcode and what happened, and we'll match you with one licence-checked local electrician who handles storm and flood repairs.
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.