Like other states, in NSW there are government guidelines for electricians who work with the power lines that connect to our homes and business premises.
Only certain classes of electrician can work with these dangerous currents, and these are regulated by the Accredited Service Provider Scheme.
An Accredited Service Provider, or ASP, might be an electrician working solo, or someone from an electrical services company. So when you hire a Level 2 electrical service provider in Sydney, you are getting a guaranteed level of service.
Here’s a rundown on the ASP Scheme and a guide to the Level 2 services electricians can offer.
The Accredited Service Provider Scheme
The Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme is administered by the NSW Department of Industry and consists of three levels. The one we’ll look at here is Level 2.
If you see someone working at the top of an electricity supply pole in your street, chances are they are an ASP Level 2 electrician. Within Level 2 there are categories of work that can be done by qualifying electricians. You will need a Level 2 electrician to do work such as:
Disconnecting your premises from the electricity network.
Installing or repairing an underground service line to connect your premises to the electricity network.
Installing or repairing an overhead service line to connect your premises to the electricity network and installing electricity meters.
Installing solar meters.
Upgrading customer/service mains, installation of steel poles, relocation of point of attachments and/or upgrading to a three phase power supply.
Employees and sub-contractors of a Level 2 ASP electrical service must be qualified and registered with the scheme. Only then can they ask your local electricity distributor for permission to work on power lines near your premises.
Who qualifies for accreditation?
An electrician’s accreditation under the ASP Scheme is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually. To qualify for accreditation at a particular level, an electrician must satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
They must be registered within the ASP scheme to carry out the services at their level.
They must hold a relevant training qualification from a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and have undergone the relevant training for that level of work.
They are a former employee of a NSW electricity distributor and can satisfy the authority that they meet the requirements of the level.
Check credentials before you hire
An electrical services provider should be able to show you their accreditation, outlining the services they are legally able to provide. You can also visit their website to see examples of the kind of work they do.
Now that you have an understanding of how the Accredited Service Provider Scheme works, you can make the right decision and hire a fully qualified electrician.
