What each Melbourne network asks for
CitiPower, CBD and inner suburbs
Electric vehicle charger applications go through CitiPower's mySupply portal, separate from the eConnect portal it uses for solar.
United Energy, south-east and Mornington Peninsula
United Energy registers EV charging units connected to its network and currently treats them as load only connections. Applications go through myEnergy, and it recommends your electrician or contractor lodges them.
Jemena, north-west
Alterations to an existing supply are requested through the Jemena Electricity Portal with an Electrical Works Request and a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Since 1 July 2026, going from single to three phase up to 100 amps counts as a basic alteration.
AusNet and Powercor, north, east and west
AusNet handles supply and connection applications through EnergyConnect, and Powercor takes supply changes from registered contractors through eConnect. We haven't confirmed a charger notification rule for either, so ask your installer to check before the job.
Apartments, townhouses and the owners corporation
At the 2021 Census, 15.6% of Greater Melbourne homes were flats or apartments and another 16.2% were semi-detached, terrace or townhouses. Many of those share a car park, a main switchboard or cable routes with the neighbours.
Charging equipment that touches common property needs formal approval from the owners corporation. In August 2026 the Victorian Government published an EV-ready guide for owners corporations covering the technical, commercial and legal side, including approvals under the Owners Corporations Act 2006. Bring the electrician's plan to the committee before you buy a charger, not after.
In a shared car park, how the charging is logged matters. Chargers with OCPP support, such as myenergi's zappi, can be restricted with a PIN and keep a record of who charged, when and how much, which makes splitting the power bill simpler.
Solar export limits make the car a better battery
Melbourne's networks are capping what rooftop solar can send back. Jemena's usual limit is 5 kVA per phase, but it drops to 0.5 kVA in total if the inverter can't be reached over the internet, and Jemena may set zero export in constrained spots. United Energy holds an offline system to 0 kW export.
When your solar can't export much, charging the car from it makes more sense. A solar-aware charger measures what the house is sending to the grid and redirects that surplus to the car, adjusting as the sun comes and goes. Solar EV chargers compares the options.
New estates and all-electric homes
Since 1 January 2024, new Victorian homes that need a planning permit connect to all-electric networks only, so a charger in a new Point Cook, Werribee or Melton home shares the board with heating, cooking and hot water. Powercor, which supplies those suburbs, says winter demand is climbing as households switch to electric heating and transport.
That's why load management earns its place here. A smart charger can slow down when the house is busy and catch up overnight, instead of pushing the supply to its limit on a cold evening.
Questions for a Melbourne charger installer
- Which network am I on, and will you lodge anything with it before or after the install?
- Is my supply single or three phase, and is changing it worth it for the car I drive?
- Does my switchboard have room, or does it need work first?
- Can this charger use my solar surplus, and work within my export limit?
- For an apartment, what will you give me in writing for the owners corporation?
- What's your REC number, and will I get a Certificate of Electrical Safety?
If it were our garage
We'd find out which network we're on, then book someone who installs chargers often to look at the board and the supply before buying anything. If there's solar on the roof, we'd pick a charger that can soak up the surplus, because Melbourne's export limits are only getting tighter. In a strata building, we'd take the installer's written plan to the owners corporation first, then order the hardware.
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.