FAQ Electricians
Who do I contact if there’s an emergency?
You should always call 000 straight away if there’s an emergency – like if you smell a gas leak, or if there’s any risk to someone’s life or property (you can find more details about that here).
If your power or gas goes out, or there’s a fault, contacting your distributor is usually the best place to start. If there’s an outage, they’ll usually be able to tell you when your power or gas should be back up and running.
How can I find out if there’s supply at the site?
If you’re not sure whether there’s an electricity supply at the site, you can check with the distributor.
How do I find out who the distributor is at the property?
Distributors are each responsible for set geographic areas – so yours will depend on where you live. You may even find that there’s more than one distributor in your postcode.
How long will installation take?
Read about the process and timeframes for electricity meters here.
How much will installation cost?
There are a couple of things that’ll affect the cost of installation, including the state you live in and the distributor in your area. You can find a full list of the fees related to meter installations, alterations and abolishment here.
What is Origin Connect and how do I register?
With the Origin Connect portal, you can submit new connection requests for electricity and natural gas. You can also track the progress of each connection, ask questions, complete account closures and request final reads. It’s a complete connection management tool and we recommend that tradies request and manage their new connection requests this way.
Registering is easy and only takes a few minutes.
I didn’t apply for electricity in time. What should I do?
You’ll need to get your electrical paperwork submitted as soon as you can, and make sure there’s clear access to the electricity meter box. We can let the meter provider and your distributor know the connection’s urgent – but keep in mind, they’re booked weeks in advance, so there’s no real way to fast track the process.
Is there anything I can do to speed up the process?
Timeframes are set by the meter provider and/or the distributor, and can depend on things like weather and the complexity of your job. But to avoid hold ups, it’s a good idea to submit your forms early in the construction process, and make sure they’re filled out correctly. You should also check that the site is clear and ready, and that the account’s in the client’s name when you submit the initial ‘Request for a new energy account’ form. You’ll find all the forms you need here – just click on your state tab first.
What’s a truck appointment?
Sometimes, a network field crew need to go onsite along with the electrical contractor to perform works that couldn’t be done otherwise – they may need to disconnect an overhead supply, or connect a new underground connection. The appointment date and time will be pre-booked.
Standard works like solar metering or new connections don’t need a truck appointment – unless there’s something non-standard that needs to be done as well.
Are the timeframes the same for a block of units, high rise development or multi dwelling complex?
Generally no – these jobs usually take longer. This is because appointments are needed and there’s more than one property at the site.
What should I do if I’m not sure what my site address is?
For newer sites, it’s not uncommon for the address to be pending finalisation. But you can check for the most accurate address and you should use that to complete your paperwork.
VIC: www.land.vic.gov.au
NSW: maps.six.nsw.gov.au