We can't live without power but do we stop to think about where it comes from and the risks inherent in that network which brings it to us.

After another devastating bushfire season the capability for those poles and wires to start fires should be front of mind.

For while almost all the fires in Victoria were started this season by lightning strikes, it doesn't take a long memory to recall what happens when the power network goes wrong.

Only a decade ago more than 150 people died after multiple fires on Black Saturday where a key cause was the sparking of overhead power wires after they came into contact with trees in high winds.

Solutions suggested by the Royal Commission into those fires and a subsequent taskforce, range from the ideal but cost prohibitive undergrounding of all wires to a combination of maintenance, vigilance and new safety devices.

Major provider Powercor has opted for the use of trip switches in the hope that innovative technology and increased line checks will provide the cost effective compromise which also minimises bushfire risk.

The devices are not without their critics.

Many more will be aghast at the hundreds of dollars this could add to power bills (bearing in mind putting the wires underground would have cost every customer thousands) assuming the cost of any implementation will be passed onto the customer

But perhaps another longer term issue is the possibility that these almost instantaneous trip switches will lead to more blackouts when things hit the lines and crews then need to seek out the incident location.

The devices are in the process of being rolled out around Ballarat but the frequency and severity of these interruptions to supply is as yet unknown.

This in part due to some unpredictable factors including animal movements and wild weather.

The question that remains in this new bushfire reality of a warming planet and longer fire seasons is what price are we prepared to pay for our safety?