Point 3 of 6 · The meter box
Who is licensed for what in Victoria
In Victoria, a householder engages a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC), and the REC sends a licensed electrician to do the work. Energy Safe Victoria licenses Victoria’s electrical workers, and the licences differ: an A Grade electrician works without supervision but cannot contract for work for profit or reward, a licensed electrical inspector inspects installations for safety or compliance, and a restricted licence covers only like-for-like disconnecting and reconnecting.
General information about Victoria, not advice about your property. Energy Safe Victoria and your electricity distributor are the places to check.
The contractor first, then the electrician
Energy Safe Victoria: “If you are planning to have electrical installation work done, you must engage a registered electrical contractor (REC). They will send a licensed and qualified electrician to do the work to the required standards.” Its consumer page on certificates says the same from the other side: “in Victoria an electrician must work for a Registered Electrical Contractor to perform work for a customer.”
It also groups the people who do the work. Licensed Electrical Workers, it says, “includes electricians and Restricted Electrical Licence holders. All electrical workers must be licensed by Energy Safe to perform electrical work.”
Four licences and registrations, side by side
| Licence or registration | What it allows | What it does not allow |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) | Electrical contracting, which Energy Safe defines “as a business, person or company employing electricians to carry out electrical installation work for profit”. | Contracting while the registration or the required insurance has lapsed. |
| Electrician’s licence (A Grade) | Electrical installation work in Victoria “without supervision”, as an employee. | Contracting “for electrical installation work for profit or reward”; that needs REC registration too. |
| Licensed Electrical Inspector (LEI) | Inspecting electrical installations for safety or compliance, within the class endorsed on the licence. | Inspecting prescribed work they helped install, or work for which they are the engaged contractor. |
| Restricted Electrical Worker’s licence (REL) | Disconnecting and reconnecting “like for like” equipment for repair, replacement or maintenance. | Wiring and installation work at low voltage or above, new wiring and equipment included; “All fixed electrical installation work requires a licensed electrician.” |
An apprentice in an electrical trade is, under the Electricity Safety Act, treated as licensed to do electrical work under supervision as the regulations set, for the length of the apprenticeship.
The inspector’s classes
An inspector’s licence carries classes. Class G covers inspections of any low voltage installation except those kept for the other classes. Class RE, which came into effect on 5 April 2024, lets an inspector inspect electricity generation systems and battery systems. Class H covers hazardous areas, and Class M fixed equipment in a patient area.
The restricted licence’s two classes
Restricted licences are now issued as Class 1 or Class 2. Class 1 includes disconnect and reconnect plus fault finding; Class 2 is disconnect and reconnect only. Energy Safe says a person may be eligible if they are employed in an occupation that needs equipment connected to the fixed installation disconnected and reconnected.
The rest of Energy Safe’s list
Energy Safe’s licence types page also lists a Supervised Worker’s licence (L), an Electrician (Supervised) Worker’s licence (ES), a Switchgear Worker’s licence (SW), a Lineworker’s licence, and registrations for employers of electrical workers and for spotters.
What an REC must show and hold
An REC has to display its REC number on any advertisement, notice or statement offering electrical contracting work. As Energy Safe’s page read on 8 October 2026, it must also hold current public liability insurance with a minimum cover of $5 million. Energy Safe says an REC is responsible for all the electrical installation work it is engaged to do, and must make sure the work is safe, complies with the regulations and is inspected where required.
Energy Safe’s advice when choosing: “electricians have different grades of license depending on the work they are qualified to do. Choose an electrician who shows their qualifications and areas of expertise in their advertising.” Its public registers, which it describes as “A directory of tradespeople for industry and community use”, are where a licence can be looked up.
Owner-builders and the other trades
Consumer Affairs Victoria’s page on builders and tradespeople says electricians “are licensed by Energy Safe Victoria”. For owner-builders, its list of recommendations includes always using licensed electricians.
The other points on the path
For work at your own place, a Registered Electrical Contractor is the one to engage: it takes responsibility for the job and sends a licensed electrician to do it.