Why do my lights flicker on windy days?

Overhead supply runs from the pole to a hook or bracket on your house, then down into the meter box. Each joint along the way is a mechanical connection out in the weather. When gusts swing the line, a joint that has loosened or corroded opens and closes, and the lights blink with it. Melbourne's warm northerlies ahead of a cold front, and the wind change that follows, are typical times for it to show.

It is most common in older streets with overhead supply, such as parts of Williamstown, Newport, Spotswood and Yarraville, and on blocks where a private pole carries power down a long driveway or to a rear unit. Newer estates in Point Cook, Werribee and Wyndham Vale mostly have underground supply, so wind-related flicker there points to something else.

The point of supply is where the distribution network meets your installation. From there, the property owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing the installation, including any private lines on the property. Powercor lists an insecure or missing service hook and a defective meter box among customer defects to fix. For lines that are down or unsafe, or a damaged or leaning power pole, Energy Safe Victoria says to contact your local electricity distributor.

Private aerial lines are low-voltage poles and wires on private property that form part of its electrical installation. Owners are responsible for keeping trees on their property clear of their own service line or private line. Never prune near a powerline yourself; leave it to someone qualified to work near live lines.

We start at your end: the connections in the meter box and at the main switch, the consumer mains and the point of attachment where it can be seen safely. If the fault is on the network side, we tell you what we found and what to report to your distributor. A repaired private line needs a Certificate of Electrical Safety before the distributor will reconnect it, so we plan that step with you.