Electrical safety laws
Disclaimer
The information below has been provided by Orion New Zealand Limited in good faith, but Orion does not accept any liability for anything that may arise from use of this information. You should always seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with here.
Principal electrical safety laws in New Zealand
In New Zealand, any electrical work that exceeds 32 volts a.c. or 100 volt d.c. is governed by law.
The principle laws are:
These laws are administered by the Energy Safety Service of the Ministry of Economic Development.
Any person, other than a homeowner, who carries out prescribed electrical work, must be registered by the Electrical Workers Registration Board.
All registered electrical workers must hold an annual practising licence if they carry out prescribed electrical work for reward. (This means that money is paid, or any valuable thing is given to them or to any other person in exchange for the work they have done.)
If you engage an electrician, ask to see their licence. If you are not sure whether the person is licensed, contact the Electrical Workers Registration Board on 0800 66 1000.
Certificate of compliance
When an electrician installs any new or altered wiring, they must provide you with a certificate of compliance as soon as they have completed the work. This is your warranty that the work is safe and complies with the law.
Certain maintenance work, such as repairing a damaged cable or replacing a broken light fitting, is required to be tested, but the electrician does not need to issue a certificate of compliance.
Prescribed electrical work
'Prescribed electrical work' is work defined in the Electricity Regulations that must be done by a registered electrical worker. It includes work to:
- install conductors
- install fittings that are connected, or are intended to be connected, to conductors
- maintain conductors
- maintain fittings that are connected, or are intended to be connected, to conductors
- maintain electrical appliances
- connect or disconnect conductors to, or from, a power supply, other than by means of a plug, appliance inlet, or a pin that is inserted into a socket outlet.
Work requiring inspection
New laws introduced in 1993 removed the requirement for Orion to inspect electrical work. However, some work must still be inspected before it is connected to the power supply. We do not carry out these inspections; independent contractors do them. The Electrical Contractors' Association may be able to provide a list of inspectors.
In a new house, for example, the only work that is required to be inspected is the work involving the mains supply and the main switchboard.
Electrical work inspections
There are some things that you should note:
- the installing electrician is responsible for getting the work inspected that is required to be inspected
- we cannot liven any premises until we are satisfied that the premises have been certified and inspected
- we do not undertake inspection work - there are several private inspectors who can do this work
- connection and livening to the network can only be done by an approved Orion contractor. Three inspectors are authorised to connect installations to our network:
- CT and Associates Limited - phone 03 377 8324
- John McNeill - phone 03 342 3116
- Telpower (1998) Limited - phone 03 339 4150
Substandard electrical work
We are not responsible for checks on the wiring in customer premises. If you want an independent check, you should ask an electrician or an inspection company to do this - you may be expected to pay for their services.
Resolving issues with substandard electrical work
If you are not satisfied with the electrical work done by your electrician, you should first try to resolve the problem with them. If they are a member of the Electrical Contractors' Association the association will provide an independent report and mediate on your behalf. The association can be contacted on 0800 506 688 or visit their website.
You may also complain about electrical work or the work of an electrical tradesperson to the Electrical Workers Registration Board. For more information on laying a complaint telephone the board on 0800 66 1000 or visit their website.
The board has powers to investigate and discipline electrical workers where they have failed to comply with the electrical laws, but the board cannot get involved in other disputes, such as costs of work. In these cases there may be breaches of the Fair Trading Act or Consumer Guarantees Act which may be remedied in the Disputes Tribunal. Information on arranging a disputes hearing can be found on the board's website.
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