Melbourne's Grid Under Pressure as Households Electrify

CitiPower, a network operator in Melbourne, reports a growing number of undervoltage incidents in its service area. This occurs when electricity demand exceeds the capacity of the local network, causing voltage to drop and appliances to malfunction.

The issue is attributed to increased household electrification, including the adoption of electric heating, induction cooktops, and electric vehicle chargers. CitiPower data indicates average energy consumption on cold days has increased fourfold for customers who have removed gas connections.

The existing power network was designed for lower levels of electricity consumption.

Background and Scale

CitiPower distributes power to over 300,000 customers in metropolitan Melbourne. The company's statement highlights that the network was built for a different era of consumption, which is now being tested by Victoria's energy transition, where households are encouraged to move away from gas.

Network Operator Seeks Upgrade Funding

CitiPower has lodged a submission with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) seeking a greater revenue allowance for network improvements to address undervoltage.

Tom Langstaff, CitiPower's manager of customer planning and power quality, stated the network is under pressure from rapid growth in electrification. The company stated this submission would not increase electricity bills.

The AER had previously declined a similar proposal from CitiPower, arguing the company had overstated the impacts of undervoltage.

Expert Perspectives on the Challenge

Undervoltage in some older networks does not mean electrification is the wrong direction, but that parts of the grid need targeted upgrades, better data, and smarter demand management.

This view comes from Saman A Gorji, director of the Centre for Smart Power and Energy Research. He emphasizes the need for strategic solutions rather than questioning the overall policy.

Bruce Mountain, director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre, noted that undervoltage is not yet a widespread problem and that its evolution alongside battery, solar, and demand patterns needs to be understood.

Effects on Households

Customer complaints illustrate the practical impact of these grid pressures. Reported issues include:

• Inability to heat or cool homes effectively.
• Malfunctioning electric vehicle chargers.
• Broken appliances.
• Specific problems such as induction cooktops operating on reduced power, microwaves malfunctioning, and split-system heaters failing to work.