Information for energy consumers
All consumers have the right to expect their energy (electricity and gas) installations to be safe. As the majority of consumers have no way of assessing whether their installation is in fact safe, they must be able to rely upon installation work being carried out correctly and safely.
Consumers can therefore expect their energy installations to be safe if the installations:
- meet appropriate standards;
- are installed by competent people to those standards; and
- are certified by the electrical contractor / gas fitter as safe and complying with regulations before connection to the supply,
and these certifications are independently validated.
Modern electricity and gas installations, if installed correctly, will remain safe for the expected life of the installation.
However, this may not be so for appliances, some older electrical installations (pre 1960 which may contain wiring that can degrade) or some older gas installations (pre 1970 which may have pipe work that could leak). Therfore, electric shocks, gas leaks and other related safety concerns must be reported to the relevant supplier of electricity or gas so that they can be investigated.
Electrical safety certificate
When you have any electrical work done after 1 July 2008, your electrical contractor must give you an electrical safety certificate within 28 days.
This certificate is your guarantee that the work has been carried out by a licensed electrical contractor, is safe and complies with safety standards. It is required to be issued for all types of electrical installing work (other than repairs) completed on residential, commercial, industrial and institutional premises.
Whether you're building a new home or just having one or two lights or power points installed, make sure that you receive an electrical safety certificate for any electrical work carried out after 1 July. Keep the certificate in a safe place for future reference.
If you do not receive a certificate, contact your electrical contractor. If it is not provided immediately, contact your local network operator which in most cases will be Western Power or Horizon Power. The network operator will investigate. Failure to receive a certificate could mean the work is not safe or the person who carried it out is not licensed.