What "Sparky Next Door certified" means
- A current electrical licence for the work, checked on the public register in their state or territory, and an electrical contractor licence or registration where their state requires one.
- Current public liability insurance, with the certificate of currency on file.
- An active ABN and business details that match the licence.
- Evidence of the jobs they specialise in, so we only match them on work they do regularly.
- Reviews from real jobs, read by a person.
- Rechecked regularly, and straight away if a complaint or a licence change comes up.
What the word certified does and doesn't mean
"Sparky Next Door certified" is our own standard, set out on this page. It isn't a government licence, an industry accreditation or a compliance certificate. Your electrician's licence comes from their state regulator, and the certificate you get after electrical work comes from them, not from us.
We use the full name every time and link it here, so you can always see exactly what was checked.
The checks, in order
The licence, on the state's own register
We search the regulator's public register where they work, for the business and for the people doing the work. In New South Wales that's the Service NSW licence check, in Victoria Energy Safe Victoria's registers, in Western Australia the Online Licence Search, in South Australia the Consumer and Business Services register and in the ACT the Access Canberra list of electricians.
The right licence to contract
A business that contracts for electrical work may need a contractor licence on top of the individual's licence. Victoria calls it registration as an electrical contractor, and in Western Australia it's an electrical contractor's licence with a number starting EC. We check the business holds whatever its state requires to take on the job.
Public liability insurance
We ask for a certificate of currency, which is the insurer's proof the policy is active. Victoria requires Registered Electrical Contractors to hold public liability insurance with at least $5 million of cover, and the Northern Territory requires contractors to hold at least $5,000,000 of public and products liability insurance.
The ABN
We look the ABN up on the Australian Business Register and make sure it belongs to the business named on the licence. Access Canberra suggests homeowners run the same check themselves.
Reviews, and the work they really do
We read their public reviews and ask for evidence of the jobs they do regularly: finished jobs, photos or reviews that mention the work. That list is what we match on, so an electrician who mostly fits downlights won't be sent your three-phase upgrade.
When we say no to an electrician
- The name or business on the register doesn't match what they told us.
- No contractor licence in a state that requires one for contracting.
- Insurance that has lapsed, or a certificate of currency they can't produce.
- Job types they want but can't show any evidence for.
- Reviews that describe jobs left unfinished or without a certificate.
Keeping the checks current
Licences lapse, insurance runs out and businesses change hands. Every electrician is rechecked regularly, and the date of the latest check will show on their profile. If a licence comes up lapsed or cancelled, the jobs stop until it's current again.
A register can tell you a licence is current. It can't tell you whether that electrician is good at your kind of job, which is why the reviews and real jobs matter as much as the paperwork.
Check them yourself
You don't have to take our word for any of it. NSW Fair Trading tells homeowners to check an electrician's licence number on the public register before agreeing to work, and Energy Safe Victoria says to ask to see the tradesperson's licence. Each takes a minute.
How to check an electrician's licence walks through each state's register, and the licence checker links straight to them.