Power company seeks to reduce bat electrocution risk

A leading power provider and wildlife rescuers have joined forces to tackle a surge in bat strikes across Victoria's electricity network.

Powercor is adding new protective devices on lines to protect bats and keep the power on.

Wildlife crusader Emma Hood is looking after a brood of bats, many of which were rescued after hitting or perching on power lines across the state.

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"We're definitely seeing an increase in bats that are dying on power lines but also that have come in and have survived powerline strikes as well," Hood said.

Citipower and Powercor are experiencing an unprecedented number of "bat strikes" on the electricity network, which can trigger power outages that extend for hours. 

"Some areas we're getting almost nightly," Citipower and Powercor reliability officer Peter Goode said.

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The power companies are now installing insulation covers on overhead lines to reduce electrocution risk for the bats, with the main species being grey-headed flying foxes.

Visual aids are also being attached to help wildlife see the lines before fatal contact. 

"They're also known as swan spirals and we use them normally for pelicans and swans, to stop them from hitting the line," Goode said.

The powerlines protection devices are being installed in bat strike hotspots statewide including Tatura, Mooroopna, Numurkah and Bendigo.

"It's a win-win situation if we can stop the bats from being harmed and keep the power on as much as possible," Goode said.

The team from wildlife organisation Fly By Night said even the bats that died on the powerlines may have had babies alive under their wings, which they could rescue and rehabilitate.

While some view bats and flying foxes as a nuisance, others are enamoured.

"They are critical for the ecosystem across Australia," Hood said.