Electrical guidesStart with what's going on at your place.

Something's not right

A shock, a tingle from a tap or a burning smell comes first: electric shocks and burning smells says what to do in the next five minutes. If a switch keeps dropping, read why the power keeps tripping. If a room or half the house has gone dark, power out in part of the house helps you work out whether it's your switchboard or your lines company.

Smaller worries have their own pages: flickering lights and a smoke alarm that keeps beeping.

The rules, in plain English

New Zealand lets owner-occupiers do a small amount of electrical work under strict conditions. What electrical work you can do yourself sets out the limits honestly. After a job, electrical certificates explains the ESC, the CoC and the Record of Inspection.

Landlords will want healthy homes: the electrical side and the smoke alarm rules. Planning a big load like a workshop or a fast charger? Start with three-phase power explained.

Choosing an electrician

Three guides, in the order we'd read them: how to check an electrician's licence on the EWRB public register, how to choose an electrician for your kind of job, and reading an electrical quote so you compare like with like.

Where the facts come from

Every rule and number in these guides comes from an official or industry source, mostly the EWRB, WorkSafe, Tenancy Services, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the lines companies, and each guide lists its sources at the foot of the page. Where we couldn't confirm something, we say so instead of guessing. Our editorial policy explains how we check.