Where can I find a template for a certificate? For an award or a course, any design site has one. For an electrical certificate, there is no template you can fill in yourself. The answers here come from Jordan Statham, director of The Conduction Company and a registered electrician and electrical inspector.
There is no template for an electrical certificate that you can fill in yourself. In New Zealand, the electrician who did the work issues it, signs it, and adds their registration number, and the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 set what it must say. The Conduction Company emails yours as a PDF with the invoice.
Where can I find a template for an electrical safety certificate?
You don't need one, because only the electrician who did the work can issue an electrical safety certificate, The Conduction Company explains. WorkSafe publishes certificate templates, but they are for electrical workers to fill in and sign. Regulation 111C of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 makes it an offence to put the authentication mark on a document that is not a certificate of compliance or an electrical safety certificate, but could reasonably be mistaken for one.
"You have to be qualified, registered and licensed in order to sign that piece of paper off, which is a legal document," says Jordan Statham, director of The Conduction Company. "It's all about safety of the occupants that are using that installation."
Who can fill out an ESC?
Only the person who completed the electrical work can fill out and sign an ESC (electrical safety certificate), and at The Conduction Company that is the electrician who did or supervised your job.
Regulation 74A of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 says the person who completed the work must issue the electrical safety certificate. It must be signed and dated, and give the name and registration number of the person who did the connection, so a homeowner who is not a registered electrical worker has no number to give. Section 74 of the Electricity Act 1992 says a person must not do prescribed electrical work unless they are authorised, such as a registered person working under a current practising licence.
There are narrow exemptions for homeowners, and The Conduction Company sets them out in its guide on how to check an electrician is registered . Jordan's point is about who lives there next: even if you think you know what you're doing, the next occupant or buyer wants to know the work is electrically safe.
What is an electrical safety certificate?
An electrical safety certificate is the signed statement, from the person who did the work, that the installation is connected to a power supply and is safe to use, and The Conduction Company issues one when it finishes electrical work. Jordan Statham describes a typical one as a single page or double page document, with the electrical compliance mark at the top.
What every electrical safety certificate must show. Regulation 74A of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 says it must state that the person issuing it is satisfied the installation is connected and safe to use. It must say whether it covers the whole installation or only parts of it, and identify where the installation is. It must carry the authentication mark, which regulation 111B says must be easily visible on the front or near the top. It must give the date the connection was done, be signed and dated, and give the name and registration number of the person who did the connection.
What a Certificate of Compliance adds. General and high-risk work also gets a Certificate of Compliance, and regulations 66 and 67 set what goes on it: a statement that the work was done lawfully and safely, what the work was, where and when it was done, and who did it, with registration numbers. It records which standards the work met, whether it relied on a certified design or manufacturer's instructions, and the type of supply it is safe to connect to. Copies of any manufacturer's instructions, supplier declarations of conformity, and certified designs used must be attached.
What else you will usually see. Jordan says most certificates also name their type, the details of whoever commissioned the work, the company's contact details, and the risk category: low, general or high.
Test results. These are optional on the certificate itself, because regulation 67 lets the person issuing a certificate of compliance add extra information such as test results. The testing itself is not optional: regulation 66 treats work as done lawfully and safely only once the required testing has been satisfactorily completed. The Conduction Company usually includes photos of its test results, or a written table of them, although that is not required.
The Conduction Company explains each certificate type, and the difference between an ESC and a CoC, in its guide to electrical certification .
How do I get an electrical safety certificate?
You get it from the electrician who did the work, and The Conduction Company sends yours as a PDF, attached to the invoice email, shortly after the work is complete and you are happy with it.
We can give you a printed copy if you need one. That is usually only for a verification, where you need a physical certificate to give to Vector or your energy retailer so they can turn the power back on. "It's not too often that we'll need to issue a paper-based certificate, but we certainly can if you request it," says Jordan.
How long does an electrical safety certificate take?
The Conduction Company issues the certificate at the same time as the invoice. The law sets an outer limit, with one deadline for each certificate. Regulation 74E of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 requires a copy of the certificate of compliance to go to the person who contracted for the work within 20 days after completing the work. Regulation 74G requires a copy of the electrical safety certificate to be provided within 20 working days after it is issued.
How long is an electrical safety certificate valid for?
In the experience of Jordan Statham, director of The Conduction Company, an electrical safety certificate does not expire. "I don't think there's a validity date on it," he says. "They stay valid for as long as you've got it in your hand, really."
The regulations do put a six-month limit on two things. Regulation 73A says the person connecting an installation after new work must issue or sight a certificate of compliance issued no earlier than 6 months before the connection. And regulation 74 says an installation that has been disconnected for more than 6 months and has had no new work done needs a certificate that it is suitable for continued use, issued no earlier than 6 months before the power is reconnected.
How does a client get a copy years later, say when they sell?
Ask the electrician or company that did the work. The Conduction Company keeps every certificate it issues on file, saved in several places so it is very hard to lose, and emails you a copy of the original when you ask.
How long do the certificates have to be kept?
At least seven years. Regulations 74E and 74G of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 require whoever issues a certificate to keep a copy for at least 7 years. The Conduction Company keeps its certificates for that long, and as long as it can after that.
Regulations 74E and 74G also require the issuer to provide a copy of the certificate within 10 working days after a request from the person who contracted for the work, or the owner or occupier of the property.
Who does the certificate belong to, the owner or the property?
The certificate is issued to whoever commissioned and paid for the work, and The Conduction Company's advice is to keep it with the property's own files. Regulations 74E and 74G say the copy goes to the person who contracted for the work.
Jordan suggests a property dossier, or property pack, with an electrical section holding your certificates. When you sell, solicitors will often look for that pack. The certificate typically stays with the property, and you can pass it to the new owner digitally or as a printed copy.
Who holds the certificates for common areas in a body corporate?
Usually the body corporate itself, or the building management firm, says The Conduction Company. They are the ones who commission work on shared areas, so they receive the certificate and should keep it on file.
What if the previous electrician never gave one?
Ask that electrician or their company for a copy first, and if that fails, The Conduction Company can carry out a Certificate of Verification (CoV). Jordan says it happens all the time, often because the electrician has moved overseas or the company has no copy either.
For a verification, we come on site and check over the existing work to make sure it is all safe and installed to code. If it is, we issue a Certificate of Verification. Jordan says a CoV counts as an energy work certificate for getting the power reconnected and for insurance. A verification by The Conduction Company covers the whole installation, not only the job the paperwork is missing for.
We do charge for a verification, and the price is in the cost section below. That is why Jordan suggests the original electrician first: "By law they're meant to keep it for seven years, and it's not going to cost you anything to get the copy from them, whereas it will for us to come through and review all of the work completed."
Has a missing certificate ever cost a client?
Yes, and The Conduction Company sees it often. One client had their bathroom reconfigured and never got a certificate from the electrician, so we were called in to verify the work. Because a verification covers the whole installation, we tested the full property and found several other things wrong. All of that remedial work had to be done before we could issue the certificate.
"It ends up costing them thousands of dollars, compared to if they had just got the certificate from the original electrician for the bathroom in the first place," says Jordan Statham.
Do I need a certificate for a new fuse box?
Yes. A new fuse box, or switchboard, is certified like any other electrical work, and The Conduction Company issues a combined Certificate of Compliance and Electrical Safety Certificate for it.
Most upgrades replace old fuses or plug-in circuit breakers with modern RCD protection. Jordan says that counts as general-risk electrical work for the most part, and regulation 65 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 requires a certificate of compliance for all general and high-risk work.
If the main earth has been changed, or the incoming mains have been touched, you will likely also get a Record of Inspection. Mains work, which includes work on main earthing systems, is high-risk work under regulation 6A, and regulation 70 says all high-risk work must be inspected. Regulation 71 says the inspector cannot be anyone who did, supervised, or certified the work. The Conduction Company covers what an upgrade involves on its switchboard upgrades page .
What is the most common mistake on other people's certificates?
Issuing the wrong type of certificate, says Jordan Statham, director of The Conduction Company and a registered electrical inspector. These are the mistakes he sees most.
The wrong certificate type. An electrical safety certificate on its own is for low-risk work, which regulation 6A defines as maintaining or replacing a fitting in an existing installation. General work, such as adding fittings or extra protection, gets a combined Certificate of Compliance and Electrical Safety Certificate. High-risk work gets that combined certificate ticked as high-risk, plus a Record of Inspection from an inspector.
The wrong risk category, and missing paperwork. Jordan often sees the wrong risk category ticked, and supplier declarations of conformity left off. Regulation 66 says copies of any used must be attached to a certificate of compliance or, where that is impractical, the certificate must say where they can be found electronically.
Too few standards listed. Some electricians always list only the wiring standard, AS/NZS 3000:2018. Regulation 67 says a certificate of compliance must record any other standards the work had to comply with. A solar array, for example, also has to comply with AS/NZS 5033 under regulation 60.
Ticking "certified design". Jordan sees electricians tick Part 1 of AS/NZS 3000 and tick that the work relied on a certified design. "It's actually very rare for an installation to require a certified design, so that box should be left unticked," he says. In his experience, a certified design is only for non-standard installations that do not follow Part 2 of the wiring rules, typically on large or complex industrial and commercial sites. Regulation 58 says a certified design must be signed and dated by the person who prepared it.
Do insurers ask for certificates after a claim?
Yes, and in rare cases they have declined claims where certification could not be produced, says The Conduction Company. Jordan Statham says that is most likely after electrical fires where the installers were not registered or licensed electricians.
The same goes for homeowners who do electrical work they were not legally allowed to do. Something goes wrong, the house is damaged, and in some cases the insurer won't pay out.
Insurers also ask before you buy. Jordan says many now want an electrical safety certificate, or energy work certificate, before they will insure a house, especially an older villa that may be untouched electrically. The Conduction Company has seen sales fall through because the certificate could not be produced in time. It can also shrink the pool of buyers, because many need it for insurance and so for their loan, and fewer bidders or offers can affect the sale price.
How much does an electrical certificate of Compliance cost in New Zealand?
The Conduction Company charges a small fixed fee for a Certificate of Compliance on the work it does, set out below. Jordan Statham says some electricians wrongly believe a law makes it free, and that is "most certainly not the case". The certificate takes time from the electrician and our office staff to prepare.
What an electrician cannot do, in Jordan's view, is hold the certificate back for any reason, because regulation 74E of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 requires a copy to go to the person who contracted for the work.
We quote on facts, not guesses
The estimates below are for standard electrical certification, shown including GST.
Certification on a job The Conduction Company does: $45.89 including GST ($39.90 plus GST).A standalone Certificate of Verification visit: $283.90 including GST ($246.87 plus GST), all-inclusive.
In short
An electrical certificate is not something you find as a template and fill in. Only the person who did the work can issue it, with their name and registration number on it, and the regulations decide what it must contain. The issuer must keep a copy for at least seven years, so if yours is missing, ask them first, and a Certificate of Verification is the fallback. That is how The Conduction Company issues, stores, and verifies certificates, in Jordan Statham's own words above, checked against the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.
If you need a certificate, a copy, or a verification, The Conduction Company offers electrical inspection and certification across Auckland . Happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need an electrical certificate?
Because it is the legal record that electrical work on your property was done safely by someone authorised to do it. Under regulation 74A of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, an electrical safety certificate counts, for the Building Act 2004, as confirmation that the work complies with the building code. In The Conduction Company's experience, solicitors and insurers ask to see it too, especially when a property sells.
Is an electrical safety certificate a legal requirement?
Yes. Regulation 74A of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 says the person who completed prescribed electrical work must issue an electrical safety certificate once satisfied the installation is safe to use. General and high-risk work also needs a certificate of compliance under regulation 65, which makes one optional for low-risk work. The Conduction Company issues the certificates for the electrical work it does.
When is an electrical safety certificate required?
After any prescribed electrical work on an installation, once the person who did it is satisfied the installation is safe to use, under regulation 74A of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. The Conduction Company issues one when it finishes the electrical work it does, and sends it with the invoice.
When should an electrical safety certificate be issued?
Once the work is complete. Regulation 74A says that if the installation was disconnected for the work, the work is complete only once it is reconnected. Regulation 74G of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 then requires a copy of the electrical safety certificate to be provided within 20 working days after it is issued. The Conduction Company sends yours with the invoice.
What happens if I don't have an electrical safety certificate?
Often nothing, until you need it. In The Conduction Company's experience, a missing certificate surfaces when you sell, when an insurer asks, or when the power needs turning back on. Ask the original electrician for a copy first. If that fails, a Certificate of Verification checks the whole installation, and any faults found have to be fixed before The Conduction Company can issue one.
