New customer connections
Please call our faults line on 13 13 51 (24/7) and we’ll send our crew over to resolve the issue.
If you have been contacted by our team about transitioning to a SPS, it is because it is likely that the network in your area is nearing the end of its serviceable life and will potentially be removed.
To ensure you remain connected to electricity, we are looking at options to supplying you with power. SPS have many benefits (link to benefits FAQ) and are a viable option to network connection.
Before your SPS is installed, we’ll check to ensure the size matches your energy needs. If you want to increase your capacity (how much energy you can draw) in the future, you can request this at your own cost by submitting an application.
We have an obligation to manage the safety and reliability of SPS to the same level as the traditional electricity network. We have carried out rigorous safety testing and the SPS units have been built in accordance with relevant Australian Standards and Western Power’s technical specifications.
The regulation states that customers retain the right to a connection quote, for 10 years after the poles and wires have been removed, if the new connection point is within 100 metres of where the Western Power infrastructure was.
The regulation states that customers retain the right to a connection quote for 10 years after the poles and wires have been removed, if the new connection point is within 100 metres of where the Western Power infrastructure was.
If you need power at your property where the powerlines have been removed you can obtain a quote for a Stand-alone Power System via the new connections page on our website.
If the poles and wires have been removed within the past two years, and you want a new connection within 100m from where they once were, you may be eligible for a SPS at the lowest cost, being either the network equivalent cost, or SPS, whichever is lower.
To find out where the poles and wires used to stand on your property you can view our map.
The two-year period commences on the date the property owner is contacted by us, and is tied to the land, not the property owner. If the property is sold during this two-year period, the new property owner can apply for a new connection at the lower connection cost.
To be eligible to receive a new connection at the ‘lowest cost’ during the two-year period, you’ll need to provide all relevant documentation and planning information including, but not limited to:
- development plans
- third party approvals
- certified electrical loads
This only applies to customers where the new connection is located within the 100-metre obligation to connect (OTC) zone of the network infrastructure to be removed.
After the two-year period has expired, any new customers will be required to pay the full cost of a SPS connection.
A single SPS can supply a maximum of five customers but this may vary depending on the capacity needs of each connection.
The SPS are fitted with 24-hour remote monitoring dashboards which provide real time visibility of the SPS performance so Western Power, and the contractor, can see if there is an issue with the SPS or if the diesel tank is running low before the scheduled service date. The generator is expected to operate for a minimum duration every 1 to 2 weeks (depending on manufacturer’s requirements) for its maintenance cycle to minimise generator deterioration. This will only occur if the generator has not been required to operate due to load conditions within the maintenance cycle period.
We monitor SPS remotely to identify sites that might require augmentation in cases of excessive generator run time.
If there is an emergency or SPS customers experience a fault or outage they will still need to call the Western Power faults and emergency line on 13 13 51 (24 hours).
We understand issues with SPS may arise and we encourage your feedback. Please call our Customer Experience Centre on 13 10 87 between 8:30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays) and our customer experience team will be happy to assist. Alternatively, you can submit your feedback online or write to us at:
Complaints Team,
Locked Bag 2530,
Perth, WA 6001
For more information visit the Western Power complaints handling process.
No, you’ll continue to receive a bill from Synergy for the electricity you use. The cost per unit of electricity is the same as network-connected customers, so if your electricity usage stays the same, so will your bill.
Want to lower your power bill? Find easy and energy efficient changes you can make at energy.gov.au.
Stand-alone power systems (SPS) are an exciting new way we’re improving power reliability for regional customers. SPS is an off-grid power solution that works independently of the main electricity grid to store and deliver power to households and small businesses. It uses renewable energy such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, battery storage, inverter(s) and a backup diesel generator. Western Power pay for the upfront cost of the unit and any ongoing costs associated with maintenance, faults and replacement. Customers continue to be billed by their retailer at the same unit cost as a grid or network connected property.
Call our 24-hour emergency line on 13 13 51 to report a fault or hazard. You’ll need to provide your property address, NMI or meter number. These details can all be found on your Synergy bill.
- No power or partial power
- Damage to the SPS, (panels, enclosure or generator) overhead or underground cables, green dome/pillar or other power equipment
- Electric shock or tingle
- Fallen or low hanging power lines
- Fire in or near an SPS enclosure
Although the risk of fire in an SPS is low it is always important to be prepared. In the event of a fire approaching or suspected fire within the SPS area, please follow the below steps:
- Do not attempt to fight a fire that is within the SPS enclosure (fenced area).
- Contact 000 and notify any relevant authorities there is a fire within the SPS enclosure and follow their directions.
- Contact 13 13 51 to report the fire.
- If safe to do so, implement methods outside the SPS enclosure, that could minimise the spread of a fire e.g., wetting down surrounding vegetation.
As part of its regular maintenance, Western Power is responsible for maintaining any vegetation within the SPS enclosure, we urge you to have other general fire mitigation measures in place to minimise risk. These include maintaining fire breaks, including surrounding the SPS enclosure, and updating your bushfire plans.
Visit dfes.wa.gov.au for more advice on bushfire preparedness.
Please contact us if you’re planning to expand, lease or sell your property. This is to help us understand how energy use at this property may change, as well as updating contact details.
If you are looking to significantly increase your energy use at the property, it is important you reach out to discuss with us, providing as much notice as possible.
There are several things we take into consideration when choosing where to place the SPS.
We aim to install the generator, on average, 250m away from any residential buildings. This is to minimise the noise that may come from the generator, particularly in the evenings.
The SPS unit will rely on renewable energy on (i.e. solar and battery) up to 95% of the time.
At a minimum, your back-up generator will run for 15 minutes once a week as part of its maintenance cycle. The amount your generator will run per week will be impacted by things like:
- How much electricity you’re using daily
- Electricity use overnight
- Environmental conditions like cloud cover
- Seasonal changes
You don’t need to refuel the SPS generator. We service the SPS annually at a minimum and receive notifications when your fuel level is low. We’ll contact you before we need to access your property to carry out any work.
Western Power’s SPS are designed to provide suitable levels of inrush current for most common appliances. The requirements within the Western Australian Service and Installation Requirements (WASIR) specify max inrush of 40A for the Western Power Small network area (which includes 10kVa and 25kVa split phase transformers).
Inrush above 40A may be possible in certain circumstances, however it is not guaranteed on an SPS or on the overhead network.
This means that any equipment larger than 2kVA is likely to exceed 40A inrush without soft starting mechanisms. If you would like more information, please reach out to our team and we can talk you through your individual needs.
For your safety, do not enter the SPS compound. If there is a fault please contact the Western Power Fault Line on 13 13 51.