Permanent disconnections
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A permanent disconnection, known in the industry as an abolishment, is the removal of power supply and National Meter Identifier (NMI) from a property. It is most commonly needed when demolishing a property, but it may also be required for other reasons such as site redevelopment or a change in network connection requirements. |
An abolishment is raised with your electricity retailer, who will then submit the request to SA Power Networks.
The electricity retailer is the company that provides electricity bills for the property. If you are unsure who the last known retailer is, you can contact us via customerservice@sapowernetworks.com.au or 13 12 61, and we will assist where possible
- Contact your electricity retailer to raise the Abolishment request.
- The retailer, after performing their own checks, will send a service order request to SA Power Networks to disconnect the power supply and NMI.
- SA Power Networks will review and raise the request internally.
- The request will be scoped to determine the work required - this includes identifying the type of crew and equipment needed, confirming site access, and checking for any network safety concerns. We may contact you if clarification is needed.
- You’ll receive an SMS notification once the request is ready to book. In the future you will be able to book this in the new customer portal, until that is available, call 13 12 61 to schedule.
- You’ll get an SMS reminder 4 business days before the appointment.
- You do not need to be onsite the day of the appointment, but check below for more details in "What happens on the day of the appointment"
The time to complete an abolishment depends on several factors, but on average:
- 3 weeks from when SA Power Networks receives the service order from the retailer until the abolishment is ready to be booked.
- 4-6 weeks for crew availability, though this can vary depending on demand.
The cost of an abolishment is charged by your electricity retailer and will appear on your final electricity bill. SA Power Networks charges the retailer directly based on the service provided. You can find a list of fees and charges, including those for abolishments in our Connections & Ancillary Network Services manual.
You do not need to be present for the appointment, but you must ensure clear and safe access to the site. If the crew cannot access the site, the appointment will most likely need to be rescheduled.
Please note:
- We can only remove electricity wires. If there are telecommunications connections, these will need to be removed by the relevant provider.
- If your property has solar panels or batteries, these must be decommissioned by a licensed electrician before any demolition work begins.
If your appointment could not go ahead, its usually due to one of these common issues.
- Access problems – The crew couldn’t access the site safely or the property was locked. If this occurs you may be charged a call out fee.
- Crew availability – Sometimes, outage-related work or other urgent jobs affecting network reliability may take priority, which can result in rescheduling.
If you need to reschedule your appointment, please contact SA Power Networks at 13 12 61 at least 2 clear business days before your scheduled booking. This helps ensure we can adjust crew availability and minimise delays.
If you no longer need the permanent disconnection, contact your electricity retailer to cancel the abolishment request. The retailer will then send a cancellation request to SA Power Networks.
You will receive a notification from SA Power Networks once the work is complete. A confirmation sticker will be placed in the meter box to confirm that the grid supply has been disconnected. If the work couldn’t be completed, a danger sticker will be applied instead, and we will contact you to advice the next steps.