WA Electrical requirements provide for a standard supply up to:
- 63 Amps single phase (Perth and major towns)
- 32 Amps single phase (rural areas and small towns)
- 32 Amps per phase for multiphase (all areas)
- Consumer mains size of 35mm² (all areas)
A large house with air-conditioning, pool and many appliances is likely to require greater than standard supply. Western Power applies the “user pays” rule by requiring consumers to contribute to any augmentation of the network, which may be necessary to cope with the recent trend to build higher usage residences. Network augmentation may mean that a new transformer is required. Part of this additional cost is then sometimes passed on to the consumer.
The end result is that many homebuyers are hit with a large bill that they did not expect.
A related issue facing homebuyers is long waiting times for Western Power to process and implement network augmentation.