Your distributor comes first
Energy Safe Victoria says to contact your local electricity distribution company about fallen or unsafe powerlines and rotting, damaged or leaning poles. That's the company that runs the poles and wires, not the retailer that bills you. In Melbourne's west it's usually Powercor, Jemena or CitiPower, depending on where you live; go by your bill.
Private poles and lines
Some properties, usually larger blocks or ones with power run out to a shed or second home, have their own poles and wires. These private aerial lines are part of the property's electrical installation, and from the point of supply the owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing them.
Report a fallen private line to the distributor first either way. The repair then needs a licensed electrician, and the distributor will only reconnect power to a private line once a licensed electrician or registered contractor has issued a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
A line that's sagging but still up
A service line that hangs lower than it used to, rubs on a gutter or tree, or has pulled away at the bracket on the house isn't one to watch and wait on. Report it to the distributor, keep ladders, trampolines and tall loads away from it, and don't try to prop it up.
Damage at the house end can be the owner's to fix. Powercor lists an insecure or missing service hook and a defective meter box among customer installation defects. Lights that flicker on windy days can be another sign of a loose connection on the line or at the house.
What you can safely do now
- Stay more than 8 to 10 metres from the line and anything it's touching.
- Keep children, pets and neighbours back, and warn anyone walking past.
- Don't try to move the line, even with something wooden or plastic.
- Report it to your electricity distributor using the faults number on your bill.
- If the line has started a fire or someone is hurt, keep everyone clear of it and get help straight away.
Services that can help
Read more in our guides
Related questions
- Who trims trees near the power line to my house?It depends whose tree and whose line.
- Why do my lights flicker on windy days?If your lights flicker when the wind blows, the overhead line to your house is the first suspect.
- Is my meter box the same as my switchboard?Not quite, though they are often in the same place.
- Why does a Licensed Electrical Inspector need to check my new switchboard?Because replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work in Victoria.
Sources for this answer
6 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Energy Safe Victoria: Who do I contact to fix fallen or unsafe powerlines, a rotting or damaged power pole, or a leaning pole? Contact your local power company, also known as the electricity distribution company Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Powercor Australia, Project Assessment Draft Report: Altona Terminal Station (West) (June 2025): It supplies part of Melbourne’s western growth corridor. This includes the areas of Laverton, Laverton North, Altona Meadows, Werribee, Wyndham Vale, Mount Cottrell, Eynesbury, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Jemena Electricity Networks (Vic) Ltd, 2025 Distribution Annual Planning Report (2 December 2025): Figure 1-1 shows the JEN supply area, which ranges from Gisborne South, Clarkefield and Mickleham in the north to Williamstown and Footscray in the south, and from Hillside, Sydenham and Brooklyn in the west to… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.CitiPower, Distribution Annual Planning Report December 2024 (hosted by the Australian Energy Regulator): The zone substation in Fisherman’s Bend (E) is served by two sub-transmission lines from Fisherman Bend Terminal station (FBTS). The zone substation supplies areas of Fisherman’s Bend and Port Melbourne. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Energy Safe Victoria: PALs are low voltage poles and wires (which can be bare or insulated), generally located on private properties which form part of the electrical installation of the property and carry the electricity supply from the… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.CitiPower & Powercor: Customer installation defects fall under customer responsibility and require prompt rectifications to ensure either the safety of the electrical installation, unhindered access to our assets by our employees or that our… Accessed 30 September 2026.
General information for homes in Victoria. Every installation is different, so treat this as a starting point. Where this answer refers to Victorian safety or rental rules, the sources above have the current requirements.