Connections to your home
ActewAGL linesmen working on overhead powerlines
In Canberra, houses are connected to the electricity network using a cable that is either strung overhead, or buried underground.
Overhead cables
You may see tall poles in your street or backyard. On these are the overhead powerlines that connect electricity to many homes in the ACT.
These overhead lines will usually have four cables. A cable will go from one of the poles to your house.
These cables may have either two or four wires. A two-wire cable provide a 240-volt connection, while a four-wire cable provides 415 volts.
Most homes are connected using a single 240-volt connection. Of the two wires, one is the ‘active’ wire, carrying electricity. The other, the ‘neutral’ wire is there for safety, it ‘grounds’ the connection, carrying excess electricity away from your home to minimise the risk of anyone in your home accidentally suffering an electrical shock.
Underground cables
Some areas of Canberra use underground cables. If you don’t see powerpoles near your home it’s likely that your home is connected using these cables.
In Canberra underground cables are normally buried 60cm deep and placed alongside roads. They work the same way as overhead powerlines. A two-wire underground cable provides a 240-volt connection and is the most common type used for homes.
Service fuse
Picture of a linkpillar
The electricity cable to your home is connected to a service fuse installed by ActewAGL. This fuse prevents any electrical faults that occur in your house from damaging the cable and affecting other homes connected to the electricity network.
If the electricity cable is underground, it is connected to your home through a linkpillar or minipillar that connects up to five nearby houses to the electricity network. The service fuse will be installed in this linkpillar rather than at your home. This can also be used to connect or disconnect the supply of electricity to your home.