Electrical work

We explain what electrical work you can do yourself.

What can you do?

There is a limited amount of electrical work you can do when it comes to wiring in your own home. This is listed in regulation 47 of the Electricity Regulations 1997 and includes:

• Replacing switches, socket outlets, lamp holders, ceiling roses, water heater switches, thermostats and elements.
• Repairing light fittings.
• Moving, repairing or replacing flexible cords connected to permanently connected outlets or ceiling roses.
• Disconnecting and reconnecting permanently wired appliances.
• Moving switches, sockets and lighting outlets, but only if they are wired with tough plastic-sheathed cables.
• Installing, extending, or altering any cables (except the main cables that come from the street to your switchboard). You have to get the finished job checked and tested by a licensed electrical inspector. You cannot connect your work to the electricity supply yourself. The inspector will connect it, test it, and issue you with a Certificate of Compliance (see below) if it complies with safety requirements.
• Fitting plugs, cord extension sockets or appliance connectors to a flexible cord.
• Replacing fuse wires and fuse cartridges.
• Repairing appliances.

Before you do any work, make sure:

• You have the necessary knowledge and skills.
• The power is turned off.
• You are not anywhere where conductors or terminals are live or could become live.

When something goes wrong

If you think something has gone wrong, make sure the power is off and contact a licensed electrician. Otherwise you risk injuring yourself or someone who lives with you and you could be prosecuted and fined $10,000 (section 163 of the Electricity Act 1992).

There are training providers (like technical institutes) that run courses for people wanting to do their own electrical work at home.

For more information about working safely with electricity, contact the Energy Safety Service.

Work that must be done by a licensed electrician

Any work not appearing in the list above must be done by a licensed electrician. This is a person registered by the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB).

For any new work done, the electrician must issue you a Certificate of Compliance (CoC), a copy of which is also sent to the EWRB. The CoC is an assurance that the work has been done to New Zealand’s electrical and safety standards. Keep the CoC safe. You may need it for an insurance claim or when you are selling your house.

A CoC is not required for maintenance work such as replacing sockets and light fittings.

Note that you are not permitted to do any work on a switchboard, apart from replacing fuse wire or fuse cartridges.