At about 9.15am this morning my other half wondered what the noise was out the front so thought he's best go and investigate. There was a young man (obviously an electrician) working on our meter box. The government employs private enterprise people to do this work and they do a wonderful job too.
"Good morning" said this young man, "we're here to switch you over to underground power".
We, of course, knew this was coming as for several months now there have been men digging holes all around this part of our suburb and leaving holes with orange mesh trellis around them etc. etc. and then filling them in. We have already paid some of the cost to have underground power ($AUS2,500.00 for pensioners spread over 5 years). The Council did allow us to vote on whether we wanted underground power and about 75% of respondents answered in the affirmative which pleased us.
We have quite a few trees growing in our front garden and from time to time have had to have lopping done to keep them away from not only our overhead wires but of those belonging to the house next door. You can imagine my delight when I stood and watched a chap roll up the wires that used to lead from the street pole to our house. No more worries about trees and wires. What a wonderful thought.
I am now waiting for nightfall to see if the new street lamps are turned on or are they still using the old ones. We are of course hoping that eventually the huge wooden poles (one of which is on our verge near our front gate) will also be gone which will make out streetscape look so much tidier.
I didn't even miss out on my morning cuppa (you know I get up late don't you?) as MOH got the small gas stove and kettle out and brewed me a cup of tea while the power was off. I ask you "what would I do without that man?' I'd be absolutely lost without him.
Now, that is interesting. I just realised that night had fallen so we checked and it's the old street lights still in use and not the new ones. We have the underground power in our houses but the street lights don't, as yet. I won't even try and fathom out how 'they' do that but it gives us another bit of excitement to look forward.
The pictures?? Just to show how happy I am with this development today. Whoopeeee!!!!
Excellent news, maybe one day our Council will do the same but I'm not holding my breath. Enjoy the wireless street scape. xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks and yes, it will be great when they finally take those huge wooden poles down. Already some of the overhead street wires are gone so progress at last.
DeleteI wish they would do that on our street.
ReplyDeleteOurs is a very old suburb of Perth so I guess it was about our turn. Costly but well worth it.
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeletegood news to be extended... means it is still good news! YAM x
Yes it is great news. x
DeleteWonderful news - and I wish our council would follow suit. New suburbs have underground power, but we don't. Yet.
ReplyDeleteI think all new Perth suburbs do too but they are slowly, so slowly doing the old suburbs but it's going to take years to complete them all.
DeleteCongratulations on your underground power, we have those orange mesh barriers around our suburb, but I think it's to do with the telephones. A fair few months ago they laid the cables for broad band, not much happening there either. xxx Rae
ReplyDeleteI checked the NBN website and it would seem in our area we will wait about 3 more years and I'm not holding my breath as I am quite happy with my computer speed as it is. Not sure which suburb you are in but underground power is coming to lots of the older suburbs so you could be lucky but you would have received some corrspondence if that was the case. Best think is to ask one of the workmen what they're doing. xx
DeleteI love underground power and don't understand why governments didn't do this years ago. When we first came back to Adelaide (1986) and built a house, we opted for underground connections, we were the only house in the street that didn't have visible wires running from the pole to the house. We did the same with our second house. If I ever have the chance to build again, it will be underground power for sure.
ReplyDeleteI don't think years ago that people here had an option of underground power although these days new houses in old suburbs automatically do go underground with their power.
DeleteIt's nice now to look out the front and no great wire there. Will be better still when that hug post by out front fence has gone too. Pity they can't do it in country areas where overhead wires can so easily cause devastating bushfires.
That's a good thought. Maybe when roadworks are carried out across country the wires could be done at the same time. Poles and wires often follow roads. Ones that don't would be harder, and those ginormous steel pylons that cross mountains would be near impossible, but they got them up there in the first place, somehow.
DeleteOh lucky you! I would love underground power. We're on the side of a hill so our ground level is equal to almost the roofline of the house across the road. Subsequently our power lines are very low - only 2.5 metres or so above the ground. As you can imagine, that really limits our street trees!
ReplyDeleteOh that would make it awkward. We live in an "avenue" but strangely enough have no street trees. The word avenue means tree lined street. That'd be about right!!!
DeleteWe had to vote to have it and it is expensive but we've got it so mission accomplished or will be when those horrible wooden poles have been demolished.