We’re not ones to exaggerate, but this was the definition of a nightmare for both the customer and us!
What started out as an emergency callout for a ‘dropped powerline’ soon turned into a saga that unfolded over nearly 2 months, involving the customer, the supply authority, Verve Electrical PTY LTD and an Independent Inspection Officer. A lot happened so we’ll try keep it brief…
Initial Callout:
The initial call was from the client in Eltham, stating that their point of attachment (where the powerline connects to the house) had fallen off in heavy winds. We attended that morning, and on arrival we saw what we were dealing with. Admittedly not overly complicated, we expected to “reinstate an existing overhead powerline connection, being retrospectively compliant at the time of installation”. This is a commonly done thing, reconnecting works that may not exactly meet todays high standards, but it certainly isn’t a fatality or major safety risk – and the key being, it’s not Customer Initiated Works! It’s merely maintenance brought on by a natural event.
We requested the supply authority disconnect power to the line, so we could safely reconnect it to the structure, in this case, the carport.
NOTE: We were aware that the house was located in a Fire Hazard area, meaning underground power supply is required – but retrospective compliance means the overhead line can in fact be reinstated in most cases! You’ll see later on, this wasn’t to be one of those cases.
The Supply Authority Visit:
Once the supply authority turned up, the linesman in charge decided to issue a Defect Notice on the spot. He raised concerns with the powerline being too low to a pedestrian walkway on private property, as well as the vegetation encroaching closer than 600mm to the powerline. This along with the overall condition of the installation means that he issued an Immediate Disconnection and the home was left in the dark…
With a pregnant woman due in 2 days!
With 2 Elderly residents, one with a medical condition.
All at 5pm.
For a brief moment we all sat there wondering what to do, so we nutted out a plan and got into it right there and then.
The Action Plan:
At 7am the next morning we returned to the house with a 7kVa Generator and a couple of coffees. We set the generator up with a full tank of fuel, and powered the fridge, the internet and 5 lamps and a TV. Upon returning to the office, we also contacted Customer Relations and explained what the residents situation was – and that turning the power off had created a more dangerous situation than having just reconnected it the way it had been for 40 years.
Within 3 days, the power was reconnected to the house as it originally was, and a new 60 Day Defect was issued, giving the homeowner 60 days to rectify the issue.
The Issue:
The issue as a whole, was the overhead powerline AND the dangerous installation of power supply from the power pole, to the carport and then to the house. The solution was to request an Electricity Pit be installed, and then install a 3 phase underground connection to the home. Being a large property, and given the trenching was mostly through rocky ground, we decided nobody would ever want to attempt this ever again!
We arranged trenching 2 weeks after our initial callout, with the 60 Day Defect now ticking away in the background. We knew we needed to get everything on our end done ASAP, in case the supply authority managed to install the pit sooner than expected.
While the trenching was being done, our administration assistant had lodged the EWR (an Electrical Works Request form) to the customers Energy Retailer, gotten the 3 phase pit approved, and given a booking date of November 27th 2024.
*the supply authority arrived November 20th and performed the Electricity Pit installation for us.
The Next Step:
The next part of the process is waiting for the call from the supply authority, to arrange a “disconnect / reconnect” visit whereby the overhead line will be disconnected and the underground supply will be connected to the new pit. This booking will take an entire day, and the end result will be a 3 phase underground supply to a new meter panel, a new switchboard and…. an included Generator Inlet Port for next time their power cuts out (Eltham tends to experience more than normal due to the number of trees etc)
We hope to have this done before Christmas assuming the supply authority contacts us to book it in promptly.
If you’re dealing with potentially going to an underground power supply, we recommend you contact us to discuss the full scope of works, as once the process starts it needs to be a well orchestrated and efficiently managed affair – as you can see from the above, we’ve got you covered!
