Electrical Defect Notice Explained: What It Means and What to Do First
Got an electrical defect notice from Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy? Here is what it means, how long you really have, who can fix each item and what to do in the first week.
A defect notice usually turns up in the letterbox or tucked into the front door after an inspector has walked your property. It reads like a legal document, it names parts of your electricity supply you have probably never thought about, and it has a date on it.
This guide explains what the notice is, why you got one, how to read it and what to do in the first week, drawing on what Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy publish and on the defect notice rectification work we do across Sydney. If your defect report came from a meter installer instead, jump to that section.
In this guide12 sections, jump to the part you need
- Defect notice checker
- Key points
- What a defect notice is (and is not)
- Why you got one now
- How to read your notice
- The timeframe, in short
- A defect report from a meter installer
- Your first week: a checklist
- Common mistakes
- What I've seen on defect notice jobs
- What it costs, and help with cost
- Frequently asked questions
Defect notice checker
Answer four quick questions and get your key dates, the trades you need for each item and a step by step plan. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.
General information based on Ausgrid's published 30 and 60 day framework, Endeavour Energy's published guidance and the wording of Intellihub's FM1362 form. The date on your notice governs. This is not legal advice.
At a glanceKey points
A formal direction
A defect notice usually comes from your electricity distributor. A metering installer can also issue a defect report during a meter visit. It is not a warning letter and it is not a bill.
The owner pays
The property owner arranges and pays for the work.
30 and 60 days on Ausgrid
Respond within 30 days and have the work done within 60 days of the issue date. Endeavour Energy states the timeframe on the notice itself.
Level 2 for most items
Most items on a notice need an ASP Level 2 electrician. Vegetation needs a qualified tree trimmer.
Help is available if cost is the problem
Both distributors publish assistance options. Ask before the deadline, not after it.
Section 1What an electrical defect notice is (and what it is not)
An electrical defect notice is a written direction from the company that runs the electricity network in your street. Across most of Sydney that is Ausgrid; out toward Liverpool it is Endeavour Energy. It is issued after an inspection finds something unsafe or non-compliant on the part of the supply that you own. A metering installer can also issue a similar defect report during a meter visit, which we cover below.
That last part surprises most people. The network company looks after the poles and wires in the street. Ausgrid states that everything from the first point of connection on your property through to your switchboard or meter is part of your own installation, including private poles, powerlines and pole-top fittings, and that you must keep it safe and properly maintained.
So a defect notice is not:
✕A bill
Ausgrid's bushfire safety patrols are free of charge.
✕General advice
It names specific defects and gives a timeframe.
✕From your retailer
Your retailer sends your power bill. A notice comes from the distributor, or from a metering installer on a meter visit.
Section 2Why you got one now
The most common reaction we hear is "nothing has changed in 20 years, so why now?"
Ausgrid answers this directly. Its contractors inspect private poles and overhead powerlines in bushfire prone areas every year, and some problems, such as decay and corrosion, are only apparent to a qualified inspector. Even recently installed poles are inspected, because the patrols are an ongoing program. Ausgrid issues notices for vegetation too close to the lines, frayed wires, damaged or deteriorating poles, and alterations to a connection that do not meet safety standards.
You do not need to be home for an inspection, and Ausgrid's inspectors carry photo identification you can ask to see.
Section 3How to read your notice: four things to find
Before you call anyone, find these four things on the page.
Who issued it
Ausgrid calls it a defect notice. Endeavour Energy's version is a "Report of Inspection" for a customer defect. A metering installer's version is a "Customer Installation Defect Report". This tells you which rules apply.
The issue date
Timeframes are counted from dates, so write this down first.
What is named
Every item has to be fixed before the notice is cleared, and one notice often names several.
The timeframe
Endeavour writes it on the report. For Ausgrid, see the next section.
Here is what the items usually mean, and who can fix them.
| What the notice names | What that usually means | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Private power pole | Leaning, rotting, rusting, split or termite damaged | ASP Level 2 |
| Crossarms, insulators and pole-top fittings | Damaged or deteriorated fittings at the top of the pole | ASP Level 2 |
| Service line or overhead mains | Slack, frayed or touching wires, low clearance, missing spreaders | ASP Level 2 |
| Point of attachment | The bracket where the line meets your building is loose, damaged or too low | ASP Level 2 |
| Consumer mains | The cable from the point of attachment to your switchboard is deteriorated or undersized | ASP Level 2 |
| Vegetation | Trees or branches too close to the powerlines | Qualified tree trimmer (ASP Level 1) If the power must be off, an ASP Level 2 isolates it |
Ausgrid directs owners to the NSW Government's list of ASP Level 2 contractors for pole and wire defects, and states that attempting electrical repairs yourself is dangerous and illegal.
Section 4The timeframe, in short
Ausgrid 30 / 60 days
Under the NSW Electricity Supply Act 1995, you must contact Ausgrid within 30 days of receiving the notice to confirm the work has been done, or will be done within 60 days of the date the notice was issued. Alternatively, you can ask for the property to be disconnected within 30 days. If Ausgrid hears nothing, it will follow up; unrepaired defects may lead to disconnection, which it calls a last resort; and after 60 days it may enter the property to fix pole or wire defects and recover the reasonable cost from you.
Endeavour Energy Stated on the report
Endeavour does not publish a single fixed period; the report states the timeframe. It may disconnect part or all of the power if defects are not fixed promptly, and in bushfire prone areas it can rectify defects itself and recoup the cost if the work is delayed.
You may see 21 days quoted on some electricians' websites. That is not what Ausgrid publishes. The date on your notice governs. The full detail, with sources, is on our electrical defect notice rectification page.
Another type of noticeA defect report from a meter installer
Not every defect notice comes from Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy. If a metering installer visits to replace or inspect your electricity meter and finds a problem with your installation, they can issue a Customer Installation Defect Report instead. One example is Intellihub's form FM1362.
It looks similar to a distributor notice, but it works differently. The form states that the installer has notified the local electrical safety authority, which may disconnect or isolate the supply if the defect is not rectified. The 30 and 60 day timeframe above is Ausgrid's process for its own notices. The meter installer's form does not state a timeframe, so ask the installer or your retailer what applies to you.
Defect level 1: hazardous and unsafe
An immediate threat to health and safety. The installation is unsafe and likely to cause bodily or property harm. Act on it straight away.
Defect level 2: non-compliant, non-hazardous
No immediate health or safety risk, but the problem is likely to stop the meter exchange from going ahead.
Do not confuse the form's defect level 2 with an ASP Level 2 electrician. One rates how serious the defect is. The other is the accreditation of the person who fixes it.
The installer ticks what is wrong and where it is. These are the categories and locations on the form:
What can be ticked
- Non-compliant customer wiring
- Customer asset defect or damage, including major damage
- Meter not protected from the weather
- No access to the metering equipment
- No access to the service fuses or isolation
- Friable asbestos containing material present
- Meter box or surround not earthed
- Dangerous or faulty customer wiring
- Illegal wiring or tampering
- Exposed conductive electrical equipment
- No MEN link at the customer switchboard
- Active to neutral loop impedance greater than allowed
Where the defect is
- A: Fused overhead line connection box
- B: Customer main switchboard
- C: Customer point of attachment
- D: Incoming overhead mains supply cable
- E: Customer meter box
- F: Customer meter board
- G: Testing
The installer also marks the location on a diagram of the property.
If you get one:
- Photograph the whole form, including the ticked boxes and the marked diagram.
- Note the defect level, the category and the location, plus the installer's name, your retailer and the date.
- Send the photo to a licensed electrician. If the defect involves the overhead connection to the network, you need an ASP Level 2.
- Have the defect fixed and the compliance certificate your state requires issued.
- Tell your energy retailer once it is rectified. The form asks you to.
- Ask for the rest of the installation to be checked. The form says it covers only the defect named and does not rule out other non-compliance.
Section 5Your first week: a checklist
- Photograph the whole notice, including any second page.
- Write down the issue date. On Ausgrid's network, put day 30 and day 60 in your calendar.
- If you are renting, forward it today. Ausgrid states that complying is the owner's responsibility and that tenants should pass the notice on and follow up until it is resolved.
- Split the vegetation items from the electrical items. They are two different trades.
- Send the photo to an ASP Level 2 electrician who is on the NSW Government ASP list and authorised on the network that issued your notice.
- Ask whether a pole can be repaired or must be replaced. It is usually the biggest difference in cost.
- Contact the distributor within the timeframe to confirm the work is done or booked, and note when you did it.
- Raise cost early if paying will be hard (see below).
- Keep every document: the notice, the quote and the compliance paperwork when the job is done.
A defect notice is urgent, but it is not an emergency, because you have a published timeframe. If a wire is actually down or a pole has fallen, call 000 first, then Ausgrid's 24 hour emergency line on 13 13 88.
Section 6Common mistakes
Planning around 21 days
It is not the published Ausgrid framework, and it can push people into rushed decisions.
Getting a general electrician to quote the whole notice
Most items sit on the network side of your installation. A general electrician has to bring in a Level 2 for that work and mark it up on top of their own. Deal direct with the Level 2 and there is one contractor and one margin.
Trimming trees near the lines yourself
Ausgrid is clear: live lines can be fatal, and electricity can jump, so you do not have to touch a line to be hurt.
Assuming the notice lets you clear any tree
Ausgrid states a qualified contractor can trim for safe clearance under a notice without council approval, but the notice does not exempt you from tree preservation orders, heritage controls or threatened species protections.
Treating a meter installer's report as an Ausgrid notice
The 30 and 60 day framework is Ausgrid's process for its own notices. A meter installer's defect report has its own wording, so check what applies with the installer or your retailer.
Fixing one item and forgetting the rest
The notice is cleared only when every item is done and the paperwork has reached the distributor.
Section 7What I've seen on defect notice jobs
Aldrae Cruz
Brilliant Electric, ASP Level 2 contractor
Defect notices and private poles are the two things we get called about most, and a few patterns come up again and again.
Notices rarely name one thing
A deteriorated pole is usually the same age as the crossarm, insulators and mains attached to it, so we scope the whole notice at once rather than coming back three times.
A photo gets you most of the way
A clear photo of the notice is usually enough for us to tell you what is involved, and roughly what it will cost, before anyone comes out.
Repair versus replace is the big swing
Some notices that name a pole are satisfied by a new crossarm, conductor or insulator on a structurally sound pole. Others need a new power pole. We tell you which at the inspection.
Plan for the power to be off
Usually about half a day, and a full day if the work runs from the overhead line through to the switchboard.
The job is done when the paperwork is
The notice is cleared when the distributor has the compliance paperwork. We lodge it as part of the job, and you get copies to keep.
Section 8What it costs, and help if cost is the problem
There is no single price, because it depends on what the notice names. Our starting prices for the work a notice most often calls for are:
These are starting prices, not quotes. Site access, ground conditions and what is already there all move the number, and you get a written, itemised price before any work begins.
For an independent reference point, Ausgrid publishes indicative costs for common defect work:
| Work (Ausgrid indicative) | Cost range |
|---|---|
| Crossarm replacement | $1,800 to $3,000 |
| Insulator replacement | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| Conductor retensioning | $1,800 to $2,800 |
| Vegetation management | From $560 for the first span |
Ausgrid notes these exclude difficult access, specialised equipment, service searches, design, traffic control and rock excavation.
If paying is the problem, say so early. There is no NSW rebate for defect notice work, but there is help:
Ausgrid
A Customer Assistance Framework and payment plans that may apply in some cases.
Endeavour Energy
May offer an interest-free repayment plan, and some customers may be eligible for a Customer Owned Asset Assistance Loan.
Brilliant Electric
We accept Afterpay and Klarna, which some customers use to spread the cost.
The short versionSummary
A defect notice is a formal direction to fix specific problems on the part of the supply you own. Find the issuer, the date, the items named and the timeframe. A notice usually comes from Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy, but a metering installer can also issue a defect report with its own wording. Send the whole notice to an ASP Level 2 electrician authorised on your network, keep the vegetation work separate, and raise cost early if you need to. The notice is cleared when every item is fixed and the paperwork is lodged.
Your questionsFrequently asked questions
What is an electrical defect notice?
It is a formal written direction from your electricity distributor, usually Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy in Sydney, issued after an inspection finds something unsafe or non-compliant on the part of the supply you own. It names the defects and the timeframe for fixing them.
Who is responsible for fixing the defects on a notice?
The property owner. Ausgrid states that everything from the first point of connection on your property to your switchboard or meter, including private poles, powerlines and pole-top fittings, is part of your installation, and that the owner must arrange and pay for the required work.
How long do I have to respond to an Ausgrid defect notice?
Ausgrid's published framework is that you must contact it within 30 days of receiving the notice to confirm the work has been done, or will be done within 60 days of the date the notice was issued. Endeavour Energy states the timeframe on each notice. The date on your notice governs.
What happens if I ignore a defect notice?
Ausgrid states it will follow up after 30 days, that unrepaired defects may lead to supply being disconnected until repairs are completed, which it calls a last resort, and that after 60 days it may enter the property to rectify pole or wire defects and recover the reasonable cost from the owner. Endeavour Energy states it may disconnect part or all of the power.
Can any electrician fix a defect notice?
Usually not. Most items on a notice sit on the network side of your installation, which requires an ASP Level 2 electrician authorised on the network that issued the notice. Ausgrid directs owners to the NSW Government list of ASP Level 2 contractors.
Can I trim the trees named on the notice myself?
No. Ausgrid states vegetation near powerlines must only be cleared by a tree trimmer qualified to work around the electricity network, because contact with live lines can be fatal and electricity can jump. If the power needs to be off for the trimming, an ASP Level 2 has to isolate it.
I am renting and the defect notice came to me. What should I do?
Forward it to the property owner, landlord or property manager as soon as possible and follow up until it is resolved. Ausgrid states that complying with the notice is the property owner's responsibility.
Do I have to pay for the inspection that found the defects?
No. Ausgrid states its bushfire safety patrols are carried out free of charge and it does not charge to inspect your consumers' mains. You pay for the rectification work the notice requires.
Is there financial help for defect notice work?
There is no NSW rebate for this work. Ausgrid has a Customer Assistance Framework and payment plans that may apply in some cases, and Endeavour Energy states it may offer an interest-free repayment plan or a Customer Owned Asset Assistance Loan. Ask your distributor before the deadline passes.
Why did I get a defect notice when nothing has changed at my property?
Ausgrid inspects private poles and overhead powerlines in bushfire prone areas every year, and some defects, such as decay or corrosion, develop over time and are only apparent to a qualified inspector. Ausgrid inspects even recently installed poles as part of the same ongoing program.
I got a defect report from a meter installer, not Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy. Is it the same thing?
It is a similar warning, but it comes from the metering installer who visited to replace or inspect your meter, for example on Intellihub's form FM1362. It is rated level 1 (hazardous and unsafe) or level 2 (non-compliant, non-hazardous), and the form says the local electrical safety authority has been notified and may disconnect or isolate the supply if the defect is not rectified. The 30 and 60 day timeframe is Ausgrid's process for its own notices, so check what applies with the installer or your retailer.
What do I do once the defect on a meter installer's report is fixed?
Have a licensed electrician fix it and issue the compliance certificate your state requires, then tell your energy retailer. The form asks you to notify your retailer once the defect has been rectified.
Holding a defect notice?
Send us a photo of the whole notice. We will tell you what it actually requires, roughly what it is likely to cost and how long you really have, before you commit to anything.
We are accredited and authorised on the Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy networks, and we work right across Sydney from our base in Riverwood, including nearby Revesby, Peakhurst and Hurstville. If your notice names a pole, see power pole replacement and installation; if it names your meter enclosure or switchboard, see switchboard upgrades.
Phones answered Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with Saturdays by appointment. We do not run a 24/7 or emergency service. If a wire is down or a pole has fallen, call 000 and then Ausgrid on 13 13 88.
Sources, checked September and October 2026
- Ausgrid: Private poles and powerlines
- Ausgrid: Private poles and powerline repair costs, and FAQs
- Endeavour Energy: Private assets, poles and wires
- NSW Government: Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme
- Intellihub: FM1362 Customer Installation Defect Report Form, version 2.0, 14 August 2025