We’re partnered with some of Australia’s leading energy retailers to give you a wide range of options for your energy plan.
We work with Origin Energy, AGL, Energy Australia, Engie, Momentum Energy, Dodo, ActewAGL and Synergy.
In most cases, you don’t need to be at the new address for the electricity connection to go ahead, as long as there is clear access to your meter and your main switch is in the off position if the power is set for disconnection.
However, there are some cases you need to be at the property for your new electricity connection if the power has been disconnected.
If you live in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), or South Australia (SA) you may need to be home and wait for the technician to reconnect the power safely.
For free-standing houses and units, your main switch is often in your meter box. Common places to find your electricity meter and main switch are:
- External wall
- Front of the house
- Garage
- Porch
- Inside the house
For multi-dwelling buildings or apartments, electricity meters are often together in one place like a meter room, the basement, a car park, or a cabinet for some new builds.
The main switch is usually inside the property, like in the hallway, laundry, cupboard, garage or under the kitchen sink.
If the power is on when you’re moving into a new property, you don’t have to stress about turning the main switch off.
However, if the power has already been disconnected at the property, you’ll need to ensure the main switch is in the off position so your electricity supply can be safely connected.
If you’re not exactly sure about your existing connection, best practice is to turn your main switch off. Just don’t forget to turn the main switch back on when you move in.
States across Australia tend to have separate connection times compared to their counterparts.
The new connection can happen any time from:
- Victoria (VIC) – 7 am to 10 pm
- New South Wales (NSW) – 7 am to 10 pm
- Queensland (QLD) – 8 am to 6 pm. If the power is disconnected, a visual inspection can be booked for one of the two time slots (8 am to 1 pm OR 1 pm to 6 pm).
- South Australia (SA) – 7 am to 6 pm
- Western Australia (WA) – No listed timeframe
For any new homeowners in Queensland, a visual inspection is when a technician visits your property to make sure it’s safe to reconnect the power in your new home.
If you’ve started moving any furniture or your belongings into the property, someone over the age of 18 will need to be there to walk the electrician or technician through the house for the inspection.
Suppose the property is empty of belongings including furniture and moving boxes. In that case, the electrical contractor can visit without you being home as long as a key is left in the meter box so they can let themselves in.
Embedded electricity networks are typically found in residential buildings, such as apartments. The property owner of the building with an embedded network will commonly buy their power supply from an energy distributor/energy provider and then onsell the energy connections to all properties within the building, providing an easy connection to your home.
If your new house is part of an embedded network, you may have to sign up with the contracted energy retailer that supplies the electricity to get your power connected.
Every property in Australia has an electricity meter with a unique meter number and an NMI (National Meter Identifier) used to identify the meter installation.
They are used to ensure we connect the right supply address and meter reading data to your energy account, so you are billed correctly for the usage at your property once your energy bill rolls around for your current electricity plan.
Meter Number
A Meter Number is stamped or printed at the bottom of the face plate in BOLD BLACK numerals and can be up to ten digits in length (on the meter, not your first bill).
NMI
An NMI stands for National Meter Identifier and is a unique 10 or 11-character reference. This can be found inside the smart meter or on your electricity bill.
The latest time an electricity or gas company can receive a request to connect power is midday
for a next-day connection. In certain areas and postcodes, we can arrange same-day connections.
Please give us a call on 1300 854 478 to see how we can help get you connected!