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Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Electricians in CanberraDifferent territory, different rules.

Canberra has its own electricity network, Evoenergy, and its own rules: ACT licences, an ACT certificate, and no NSW-style Level 2 scheme. New homes are built without gas connections, and storm season brings hail. Tell us the job and your suburb, and we'll match it with one licence-checked local electrician who does that work, where we have one.

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Canberra city centre and Lake Burley Griffin seen from Mount Ainslie, with the Brindabella Ranges behind.
Photo: Mark Direen on Pexels

Canberra at a glance

Network: Evoenergy

Evoenergy supplies about 200,000 ACT customers. Its electricity emergency line is 13 10 93, and it says to stay at least 10 metres from fallen or low-hanging lines and anything they touch. The ACT SES is on 132 500 for storm and flood help.

Storm season

The ACT Emergency Services Agency says storms are more common from September to the end of February. On 20 January 2020, hailstones four to six centimetres across broke through roofs, windows and skylights from southern Belconnen to the inner south, and a supercell on 3 January 2022 left 17,000 people in West Belconnen and Tuggeranong without power.

Cold winters

Canberra Airport averages about 95 frosts a year. In winter, heaters and heat pumps put the switchboard to work, and an older board can show its limits.

Mr Fluffy homes

Loose-fill asbestos was blown into the roof spaces of more than 1,000 Canberra homes between 1968 and 1978-79. Affected homes must display a safety tag at the meter box and switchboard. Most have since been demolished under the buyback, but 35 were still standing in February 2021.

Suburbs built in stages

Canberra Central dates from the 1920s to 1960s, Woden Valley from 1964, Belconnen from 1966, Weston Creek from 1969, Tuggeranong from 1974 and Gungahlin from the 1990s. The suburb tells an electrician a fair bit about the switchboard before they've seen it.

Why so many Canberra jobs are about going electric

Since 8 December 2023, new gas network connections have been prevented in the ACT's residential, commercial and community zones. Homes that already have gas can keep it, but the ACT Government's plan is to electrify Canberra by 2045.

So a lot of the work here leans electric: induction cooktops, heat pumps, EV chargers, and the switchboard upgrades that make room for them. If you're moving off gas, gas to induction is a good place to start, and EV charger installation in Canberra covers Evoenergy's advice on chargers.

Bigger electric loads sometimes mean a supply change. Evoenergy treats an upgrade to three phase as a modification of an existing connection, starting with a Basic Design Application. Solar matters too: every residential system in the ACT has a 5 kVA per phase export limit, and Evoenergy says three phase power can reduce the impact.

ACT rules worth knowing

Electricians must be licensed for any electrical wiring work in the ACT. Access Canberra keeps a public register of licensed electricians, and suggests asking for a certificate of currency for public liability insurance and checking the ABN as well.

After the job, the electrician lodges a certificate of electrical safety within 14 days of testing and gives the owner a copy. Access Canberra audits all new installations, and a new installation can't be energised until it passes.

For landlords, a dangerous electrical fault or a failed electricity supply counts as an urgent repair, to be done as soon as practicable. Smoke alarm rules are on ACT smoke alarm laws.

If we were in a Canberra home

We'd save 13 10 93 before storm season and keep trees back from the service line: Evoenergy says at least 1 metre. Before any move off gas, we'd have the switchboard and supply assessed as a whole rather than one appliance at a time. And if the meter box has a Mr Fluffy tag, we'd make sure the electrician knows before they arrive.

Want a specialist to sort it?

Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.

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Services

Electrical jobs in Canberra

EV charger installation in CanberraEvoenergy's three-phase advice, ACT apartment rights, new-build EV rules and loans for chargers in Canberra.Emergency electricians in CanberraFirst steps in a Canberra electrical emergency, from Evoenergy's line and storm damage to Mr Fluffy tagged homes.Test and tag in CanberraWorkSafe ACT's test and tag rules for Canberra workplaces, the tag itself, and fixing faults on the same visit.

Your suburb

Suburbs and areas around Canberra

Questions

Straight answers.

Who do I call when the power goes out in Canberra?

Evoenergy, on 13 10 93, if the street is out or a line is down. Its outage map shows planned and unplanned outages, and you can register a mobile number for a text when power's back. If only your home is dark, check your safety switches first.

Is there a Level 2 electrician in Canberra?

Not by that name. Level 2 belongs to the NSW Accredited Service Provider scheme. In the ACT, changes to your connection, like going three phase or moving an overhead service underground, start with an Evoenergy Basic Design Application.

How do I check an electrician's licence in the ACT?

Search Access Canberra's public register of electricians. Access Canberra also suggests asking for a certificate of currency for public liability insurance and checking the business's ABN on the Australian Business Register. How to check an electrician's licence has more.

Do I have to get rid of my gas?

No. Homes and businesses that already have a gas meter can keep using it. The rule stops new connections, and the ACT Government's longer plan is to electrify Canberra by 2045.

Ready for a sparky in Canberra?

Your postcode and a few quick questions, and we look for the licence-checked local specialist for your job.

Related help

Helpful next

EV charger installation in CanberraEvoenergy's three-phase advice, ACT apartment rights, new-build EV rules and loans for chargers in Canberra.Emergency electricians in CanberraFirst steps in a Canberra electrical emergency, from Evoenergy's line and storm damage to Mr Fluffy tagged homes.Switching from gas to inductionThe electrical side of going induction: a dedicated circuit, switchboard space and supply checks.Three-phase power upgradesBig EV charger, large solar or ducted air: when three-phase is worth it and how the upgrade works.Smoke alarm laws in the ACTThe ACT's 1994 hardwired rule, linked alarms on every level, and who does what in a Canberra rental.Electricians in the ACTACT licence classes, Access Canberra's register, the certificate of electrical safety, smoke alarms and asbestos.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with your state regulator if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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