Need to contact

Western Power

and make sure they reply?

Western Power owns and runs the poles, wires, substations and streetlights across Western Australia's South West Interconnected System (SWIS) — it does not sell electricity, set tariffs or send your bill. That split decides which Western Power contact number you need: outages, hazards, meters, streetlights, new connections and solar approvals go to Western Power, while bills, concessions, payment plans, feed-in credits and moving house go to your retailer (Synergy for most households, or Horizon Power in regional areas outside the SWIS). Western Power customer service runs through a Customer Experience Centre, backed by a faults line staffed every hour of the year.

• Faults and emergencies: 13 13 51 — 24 hours, 7 days
• General enquiries: 13 10 87 — 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday
• Streetlight faults and graffiti: 1800 622 008 — dedicated line
• Online enquiries, complaints and claim follow-ups: Western Power online contact form — submit any time
• Live outages and SMS alerts: Western Power outage tracker — 24/7 self-service
• Accessibility: National Relay Service on 1800 13 13 51; Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50
• Social and community: @westernpowerwa channels for outage updates, plus the Let's Talk Power consultation hub

Public ratings sit low — 1.6 out of 5 from 88 reviews on ProductReview.com.au, around 88% negative — but read that with context. Network businesses are mostly reviewed by people standing in the dark. The strongest praise consistently goes to emergency response; the weakest feedback lands on communication during outages and on claims handling.

One thing works firmly in your favour. Western Power operates under the Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers, enforced by WA's Economic Regulation Authority (ERA), which creates automatic fixed-dollar service standard payments when deadlines are missed. Most customers never find out they exist.

Frequent and Repeated Outages

• Reviewers describe outages "once a week", back-to-back multi-hour interruptions on consecutive days, and three full-day outages inside two months.
• Rural, semi-rural and outer-suburban feeders appear disproportionately affected, with summer pole-top fires and storm damage as recurring triggers.

Poor Communication and Slipping Restoration Times

• The most repeated frustration is the information vacuum, not the outage itself — customers report "zero information given" during extended faults.
• Estimated restoration times are pushed back repeatedly without explanation; reviewers ask for realistic ETAs rather than optimistic ones.

Appliance and Equipment Damage

• TVs, fridges, modems and set-top boxes are reported destroyed when power surges on restoration.
• Customers are told Western Power "claims no responsibility", but are rarely told clearly why a claim was declined or that a secondary review exists.

No Payout for Food Spoilage or Near-Threshold Outages

• The $120 extended outage payment only triggers at 12 continuous hours, so many long, genuinely disruptive outages fall just short.
• A widely cited example: a 10-hour Christmas Day outage in 40-degree heat, with spoiled food and no payout.

Planned Outage Timing and Notification

• Reviewers criticise planned works scheduled overnight on weekends or during extreme heat, and question why they aren't done in weekday business hours.
• Notification letters arrive late or go to the wrong address, because contact details come from the retailer's account record rather than Western Power's.

Connection, Solar and Battery Delays

• New-build customers report waits quoted at 12 months or more for a network connection, with unclear timelines and few proactive updates.
• Solar-plus-battery owners report lengthy approval waits followed by export or discharge limits that undercut the financial case for their system.

Streetlights and Retailer Handballs

• Streetlights are reported out for extended periods, with many customers unaware the dedicated 1800 622 008 line exists.
• Faulty meters producing wrong readings are a structural trap — customers get passed back and forth between Synergy and Western Power. If that loop drags on, lodge a formal complaint with Western Power and keep the reference number.

First, Work Out Who Owns the Problem

• Western Power: outages, live hazards, fallen or damaged lines, streetlights, meter faults, new connections, solar, battery and EV approvals.
• Your retailer: bills, tariffs, concessions, payment plans, feed-in credits and moving house — Synergy on 13 13 53 or via the Synergy contact page.

Faults and Emergencies — Western Power outage 13 13 51 (24/7)

• Call immediately for fallen or sparking powerlines, pole fires, smoke from a meter box, a car into a pole, or any live electrical hazard.
• Stay at least 8 metres away from fallen lines.
• Never report a hazard or emergency online — Western Power warns against it because online forms aren't monitored in real time.

Outage Tracker and SMS Alerts

• Check the Western Power power outage map before you call: enter your address or use "Find my location".
• It shows whether the fault is already known, how many properties are affected, whether it's planned or unplanned, and the current estimated restoration time.
• Register for SMS outage notifications on the same page so you're not sitting in a hold queue for published information.

General Enquiries — 13 10 87

• Open 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
• Use it for connection questions, planned outage queries, claim follow-ups and life support arrangements.

Streetlights and Graffiti — 1800 622 008

• Western Power streetlight fault reporting has its own line, separate from general enquiries.
• To report a fault Western Power crews can locate quickly, note the pole number before you call.

Written Contact and Complaints

• Use the online contact form for complaints, claim follow-ups and anything you want documented.
• Have ready: your meter number (page two of your electricity bill — Western Power identifies you by meter, not account), full property address and nearest cross street, the date and time the problem started, photos of any damage, and receipts or quotes.
• Always ask for a reference number and write it down.

Escalating Your Complaint

• Ask for the matter to be reviewed by a senior employee. For a declined damage claim, request a secondary review using your claim reference number and any extra evidence.
• An Energy and Water Ombudsman WA complaint is free, independent and impartial: freecall 1800 754 004, phone (08) 9220 7588, email energyandwater@ombudsman.wa.gov.au, or make your complaint online.
• The Ombudsman operates 8:30am to 4:30pm weekdays from Level 2, Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street, Perth. Western Power is a scheme member, but the Ombudsman will normally ask you to try Western Power first — which is why your reference numbers and dates matter.

Western Power doesn't sell products, so retail refunds, returns, price matching and product warranties don't apply here. What applies instead is more financially useful: a Western Power compensation claim falls into regulated streams set under WA energy rules.

Extended Outage Payment — $120

• Triggered by a network outage lasting 12 or more continuous hours.
• Claim within 60 days of the outage; approved claims are paid within 30 days to your nominated bank account.
• Not payable if the outage was caused by you, your equipment or your assets. The Western Power extended outage payment covers inconvenience only — not spoiled food or broken appliances.
• You'll need your meter number, outage start date, and BSB and account number. Lodge an extended outage claim.

Complaint Response Payment — $50

• Payable when Western Power fails to respond to your written complaint within 20 business days.
• You'll need meter or account details, your complaint reference number, and the date and method of your original contact.
• Claim the complaint response payment.

Loss or Damage Claims

• Covered when loss or damage was caused by incorrect action by Western Power, or inappropriate operation of Western Power equipment.
• Paid as repair cost or "like for like" replacement at current depreciated value — not new-for-old.
• Not covered: lightning, storms, bushfires and other natural events; vandalism, wildlife and vehicle collisions; planned interruptions; and pure economic loss.
• Keep damaged items until the claim is finalised, and submit receipts, quotes and photographs. Start a customer damage claim or call 13 10 87.

Complaints Handling

• Phone complaints are logged into the formal complaints process; written and online complaints are acknowledged within 3 business days wherever possible.
• Complaints are addressed within 20 business days, under AS/NZS ISO 10002:2022, the ERA's Customer Complaints Guidelines and the Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers.
• For the full escalation path, see our guide to Western Power complaints.

Planned Outage Notification

• Western Power provides written notice at least 3 business days before planned works.
• SMS alerts go to the mobile number attached to your retailer account — update those details with Synergy, not Western Power.

Life Support and Sensitive Customers

• Register through your retailer, which then notifies Western Power. Registration brings advance notice of planned outages and priority consideration during restoration.
• Call 13 10 87 ahead of a specific planned outage to request consideration — generators may be provided to life support equipment customers and priority essential services.