Get Connected
Choose your electricity connection type
Standard application
A standard application is common for:
- a single home or a small number of new residential connections
- a small alteration to your current connection
- small mid-sized commercial connections
- a residential solar or small mid-sized commercial solar connection (up to 300kW)
Standard connections may cause a modest increase in capacity (where the network is not constrained). It can usually follow a standard application process with minimal network capacity studies and connection requirements.
Complex application
A complex application is required for:
- large commercial or industrial customer with a large load
- large-scale generation like solar, wind or battery
- a smaller project where it is identified that the network may need investment to support
- an upgrade or downgrade to your current supply
Complex applications require more work by our network staff to analyse information, assess the network, scope options and complete studies. A project’s size or technical criteria may also mean it requires additional work.
Steps to get connected
1. Enquire & Discuss
Understand your options, the process, timelines and application costs with your service providers (electrician, livening agent, network-approved contractor and retailer) and our web self-service tools.
2. Apply & Explore
Apply for new connections, or engage your service provider, who will apply for your connection for you. This is required if you are upgrading your existing connection, installing solar or need power to your boundary. We will review your application.
3. Design & Approve
We will work with the service provider to design the solution, ensuring it meets your requirements, then review and approve the proposed plan before proceeding.
4. Deliver & Build
The approved service provider(s) will deliver the agreed solution.
5. Connect & Complete
When the connection is ready, inspection and livening are needed. Then you or your electrician can contact your retailer for metering to be installed by the livening agent.
Fibre coverage and connections
Find out if a fibre connection is available at your place or your new build. Learn what you need to do to get connected and choose a retailer. It’s usually free to get your house connected to Northpower Fibre, and the monthly cost is similar to what you already pay for the internet.
Register your interest in fibre in the link below.
Solar power for homes and small businesses
Your location or conditions may suit generating your own energy – such as lots of sun or wind, or a running stream of water. Generating your own electricity can contribute towards better sustainability. You may even generate more electricity than you use, which you can store in a battery or sell back to an energy retailer through the grid. Northpower has a 10kW export limit per residential connection.
Common questions
You’ll need to contact an energy retailer to set up an account if you’re not already a customer. You can find a list of retailers at Powerswitch. If you’re already an existing or recent customer of an energy retailer, you’ll need to contact them to advise the new address you’d like to be connected to. Find out more here.
Please apply for a new electricity connection here. You can ask your electrician to assist you with completing the form, or have them complete the form on your behalf. You’ll need to pay the application fee online when you submit the form.
Before you get started, you’ll need:
- Bill payer contact details – if there is a cost associated with this work, then the quote and invoice will be issued to this person
- Electrician contact details
- Your chosen electricity retailer and your account number with that retailer
- Electricity retail account holder contact details
- There is a charge for your new connection application – you will need your credit card or account 2 account details handy.
If power to the boundary is required, your preferred Northpower Approved Contractor needs to undertake the work.
Other than your contact details, there are several pieces of information that you will require to get a power service installed to your property and include in your (or your service providers) enquiry or application. For standard connections, these are typically:
- Property address. This is the address of the property where you would like the service installed.
- Lot or Deposited Plan (DP) number. If you don’t have an address yet, then a Lot or DP number will be fine.
- Pole number of the closest power pole. If you can see a power pole nearby, there will be a pole number on it. Take that number down, or better still, take a photo of it for reference.
- What are you going to be powering? We need to know if this is for a residential dwelling or a commercial operation. This will have an impact on the design of your power requirements.
- Your electricity retailer and the retail account holder’s details.
If works on the network are required to enable your connection, your choice of contractor can provide a quote for these works.
The Northpower Approved Contractor will also advise you of the inspection and connection charges that you will need to pay to get a final inspection and connection to the network carried out.
Construction of your service main (private cable/line) can be done by your electrician. When your connection is ready to proceed, let us know. You’ll choose your network-approved contractor to inspect, install the meter, connect and liven to the network – see the table of Northpower-approved contractors
Your electrician will certify your service main and also organise for the connection to be inspected and livened to the network. This can only be done by a Northpower-approved contractor. Your electrician and the Northpower-approved contractor will schedule an inspection of the work, connect and liven. At this point, your energy retailer will begin billing you for your electricity.
See Northpower’s list of Network Approved Contractors.
Northpower usually owns (and maintains) all of the equipment up to your boundary. Any equipment inside your boundary is usually owned and maintained by you. We will be responsible for operating and maintaining the equipment we own. Other equipment on your property that you own, e.g., your service line connecting to your building/s or equipment, you are responsible for maintaining.
We’ve created the table above to help you understand the different roles and responsibilities for a new electricity connection.
Most residential connections will require a point of connection, where electricity flows out of our network into the customer’s installation. Typically, these will be a utility pole or a a pillar (small green box). We call it an Installation Control Point (ICP).
Easements are generally required where lines supplying your connection go through a neighbouring property. Northpower will confirm any easement requirements with you during the Connection Application process.
For further advice, please contact our customer care team with any questions you have regarding the connections process – we’re here to help. Please call us on 0800 10 40 40.
