My lights in Richmond keep dimming and brightening. Who do I call?

Network Tasman asks you to ring its fault line, 0800 508 100, because fluctuating power can point to a problem on its lines. If it's only one circuit in your house, an electrician is the better call.

Is Richmond on Nelson's lines company?

Richmond is on Network Tasman, which now also runs the lines in central Nelson that Nelson Electricity used to. If you're near a boundary, the ENA lines company map will confirm it.

Electricians in Richmond, Tasman: solar, new homes and storms

Electricians in RichmondTasman's growing town, south of Nelson.

Richmond grew 20.0% between 2018 and 2023, and Tasman District Council's Richmond South project aims for around 2000 more homes. Network Tasman says solar uptake around Nelson is high compared with the rest of the country. Put those together and the common jobs are solar, EV chargers and wiring for new houses, with storm repairs when the weather turns. Send us the details and we'll try to line up one licence-checked Richmond-area sparky who specialises in it.

Updated 29 October 2026 · Written by the Sparky Next Door team · How we check our facts

Richmond's power, and why it matters

Network Tasman's lines

Richmond is in Network Tasman's Stoke supply region, its largest. The toll-free 24-hour fault line is 0800 508 100. Network Tasman asks you to call if lights keep dimming and brightening, and to check your switchboard first if only part of the house is off.

Growth to the south

Richmond had 7266 dwellings at the 2023 Census, and its population rose from 15,378 in 2018 to 18,447. Network Tasman expects growth to spread south and west towards Hope, and plans to upgrade the Hope substation with two 23 MVA transformers.

Lots of solar already

Network Tasman counts about 3,800 mostly domestic solar sites around Nelson, and its default export limit is 10 kW unless an assessment says otherwise.

Storms and outages

In the April 2013 storm, 216 mm of rain fell in 24 hours at the council office in Richmond. A mini tornado lifted the roofs of two Richmond homes on 4 July 2026. In March 2023 an unexplained fault on the Hope 33 kV feeder cut power to about 7,000 consumers in Richmond, Hope, Brightwater and Wakefield.

Who lives here

Richmond's median age was 45.6 at the 2023 Census, and 25.4% of residents were 65 or older. Across Tasman District, 22.57% of households didn't own their home.

Jobs that come up in Richmond

Solar. Network Tasman recommends not buying a system until your application is approved. You need a registered electrician and a Certificate of Compliance, and solar PV, being high-risk work, also gets an independent inspection.

EV chargers. Network Tasman says there are limits on how much charging power a home can have before its connection needs a capacity upgrade, so talk to your electrician before choosing a charger. A wall charger wants its own sub-circuit and a Type B RCD.

New homes and additions. Garages, sleep-outs and outdoor lighting on new sections, with RCD protection on new circuits.

Storm repairs. After roof damage or flooding, keep wet circuits off until they're tested.

Where we'd start in Richmond

If solar and an EV are both on the cards, we'd get one electrician to look at the switchboard and the connection capacity first, then apply to Network Tasman for both at once. We'd hold off paying for panels until that approval comes back.

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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