Every electrician in NSW holds a licence. A Level 2 electrician holds something on top of that: accreditation under the NSW Accredited Service Provider (ASP) scheme to work on the connection between your property and the electricity network. In the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area, that network belongs to Ausgrid, and nobody touches it without that accreditation.
That is the whole difference. A regular electrician works on everything from your main switchboard inwards. A Level 2 electrician works on everything from the switchboard outwards to the street: the consumer mains, the point of attachment on your house, private power poles, the service fuses, and the physical connection to Ausgrid’s lines or pillar.
What a Level 2 electrician is accredited to do
The ASP scheme is run by the NSW Government, and Level 2 accreditation is broken into categories. The categories are A, B, C, D, 2x. We are accredited in all of the above categories and complete all Level 2 work.
In day-to-day terms, that covers:
- Metering work, in conjunction with the metering provider, where a meter has to be moved, changed or added as part of the job.
- Disconnecting and reconnecting supply so another trade can safely replace a roof, upgrade a switchboard, or demolish a building.
- Consumer mains, overhead or underground, between Ausgrid’s connection point and your main switchboard. New, replaced, upgraded from single to three phase, or relocated.
- Point of attachment work where the overhead service lands on your house. Brackets, risers and clearances are a common source of Ausgrid defect notices.
- Private power poles, supplied, installed, replaced and connected.
- Service fuses at the point of supply.
- Temporary builders supply for a new build or major renovation.
- Ausgrid defect notice rectification, where Ausgrid has identified something on the customer’s side of the connection that has to be fixed within a set time.
https://elevatedelectrical.com.au/three-phase-power-upgrade/
What a Level 2 electrician is not
Level 2 is not a higher grade of general electrician. It is a different accreditation for a different part of the system. Power points, lighting, a new circuit for the oven, a switchboard rebuild inside the house: that is standard licensed electrical work, and any good electrician can do it. Many electricians subcontract the Level 2 part of a job to us and do the rest themselves.
It is also not Level 1 or Level 3. Level 1 ASPs build the network itself, the poles and mains in the street, on Ausgrid’s behalf. Level 3 ASPs design that network. Level 2 is the connection from that network to you.
H2: When you need one
You need a Level 2 electrician when the job touches anything between your main switchboard and the street. The common triggers:
- You have received an Ausgrid defect notice.
- Your switchboard upgrade needs the supply disconnected and reconnected.
- The roof is being replaced, and the overhead service has to come off the house.
- Your private pole is rusted, leaning, rotten or has been hit.
- You are building, and need power to the site before the house is wired.
- You want three-phase power for an EV charger, a pool, a workshop or a heat pump and the existing supply is single phase.
- The house is being demolished and needs a permanent disconnection.
- The overhead service is too low, too close to a tree, or clipped by a truck.
If you are not sure, send us a photo of your switchboard and a photo of where the power comes into the property. We will tell you which side of the line it sits on.
What to check before you hire one
What to check before you hire one
- Ask for the ASP number. Every accredited provider has one. Ours is 6339.
- Ask who lodges the Ausgrid paperwork. Level 2 work generates a Notification of Service Work and other network paperwork. The ASP does it, not you. If they ask you to deal with Ausgrid yourself, that is a warning sign.
- Ask how many site visits are included. A lot of Level 2 jobs need two: one to disconnect, one to reconnect after other trades have finished. A price that only covers one visit is not the full price.
- Ask whether the point of attachment is included. If the bracket or clearance does not meet the current NSW Service and Installation Rules, it has to be fixed while the connection is open. Find out before, not on the day.
- Check the electrical contractor licence as well. Level 2 accreditation sits on top of a normal contractor licence, not instead of it. Ours is 460779C.
https://elevatedelectrical.com.au/level-2-electrician-cost-in-newcastle/
Elevated Electrical as your Level 2 ASP
Elevated Electrical & Automation is an Ausgrid-accredited Level 2 ASP based in Gateshead, covering Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter. Ryan Leis has been on the tools for over 18 years and does the Level 2 work himself. The paperwork, the Ausgrid coordination and the return visits are part of the job, and they are quoted up front as a fixed price. What Level 2 work costs is covered on its own page.
https://elevatedelectrical.com.au/level-2-asp-electrician-newcastle/
Need a Level 2 electrician in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie? Call 0497 046 823 or send photos through the contact page for a fixed-price quote.
