We know customers are frustrated about the lack of a clear and accessible compensation pathway for outage-related losses.  There is a Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) payment which will be automatically applied to customers who have experienced outages beyond a certain threshold. This will be automatically credited to qualifying customers on their first electricity bill from September.

We understand that some customers may have experienced property damage, such as appliance damage, during recent outages involving repeated interruptions. 

The Small Claims Scheme is applicable to certain types of voltage variations caused by failures in our electricity infrastructure, excluding incidents like natural events, third-party damages, or contact with fauna or flora. 

 We are currently reviewing whether these events are covered under the Small Claims Scheme and will update our website  when this review is complete. If you believe your property has been damaged, please keep records and photographs where possible. We also recommend contacting your insurer to understand your coverage.

Insulator pollution first emerged as a reliability challenge during the 2024/25 summer, driven by a combination of unusual environmental conditions, including an extended period of very low rainfall and increased salt and dust build-up on insulators.  

Work was carried out during and after last summer to inspect, wash and repair affected equipment, which was the most efficient response based on what was understood at the time.  However, this summer has again seen prolonged dry conditions, along with higher coastal water temperatures, which increase humidity and condensation on insulators. In some cases, hidden damage from last summer has contributed to insulators deteriorating more quickly. 

Together, these factors mean the issue has persisted across more than one season and cannot be resolved through a single round of work. Remediation is being addressed in stages, with both short-term mitigation and longer-term solutions underway.

No. This issue is not the result of a lack of maintenance. It is driven by environmental and weather conditions that can affect many parts of the network at the same time.

Our crews regularly inspect,clean and maintain equipment, and we are continuing to clean, repair and replace insulators where needed as part of the current response.

Coastal areas are more exposed to salt, dust, and wind. When there hasn’t been enough rainfall, this build-up stays on powerline insulators for longer, increasing the likelihood of outages and damage. 

Regions surrounded by large stretches of coastline, such as the Yorke Peninsula, are more affected because of this ongoing exposure. Higher coastal water temperatures have also increased humidity and condensation, which, when combined with salt and dust build-up, can allow electricity to track across the surface of the insulators and trigger outages.   

Together, these environmental factors mean some areas are more vulnerable to insulator pollution than others.

Washing removes salt, dust, and other surface build-up from insulators, which can help reduce outages in the short term. However, it doesn’t repair insulators that have already been damaged or degraded. 

In areas where washing provides only limited benefit, we are prioritising replacing insulators, particularly in higher-risk locations. Replacement is a more effective way to reduce outages caused by damaged equipment, while washing continues to be used as a short-term measure in specific problem areas. 

Because insulator pollution is influenced by weather and can affect large areas of the network, some risk of outages remains while work continues. However, the intent is to steadily improve reliability. 

A multi-year replacement program is required to replace insulators in the highest-risk areas first. This work is designed to significantly reduce the likelihood of outages, where reasonably practicable. 

While these outages are driven by particular weather and environmental conditions, investigations are continuing to better understand all contributing factors and to guide longer-term solutions. 

There isn’t a single point in time when this issue will be completely “solved”. Addressing insulator pollution is an ongoing process that will take place over several stages. 

In the short to medium term, work is focused on reducing impacts as much as possible. This includes inspecting and prioritising the highest-risk areas, increasing resources, improving washing methods, additional treatments, and replacing the most at-risk insulators. 

Over the longer term, a multi-year asset replacement program is required. This involves progressively replacing equipment as part of broader network rebuild and upgrade programs. This work is expected to significantly reduce the risk of outages over future summers, but it will extend beyond 2030.

Money is not the primary constraint. The main challenge is how quickly work can be delivered safely and effectively across a large, regional network.

To address this issue, work is being actively reprioritised so that insulator response is given high priority in affected areas. This allows resources to be focused where they will have the greatest impact, while essential work continues across the rest of the network.