Get connected

A simple connection is generally where electricity is available at the boundary or agreed connection point and you need it switched on so you can start using electricity at your home, business, shed, pump or other connection.

This may include:

• A new permanent connection
• A builders temporary supply
• Changing a temporary connection to a permanent connection

What's the process

• Engage a registered electrician. They're responsible for your service mains from the point of supply (our network connection point) and your metering point. We often suggest they complete our online application form for you.
• Choose an electricity retailer - you'll need to sign up to an electricity retailer. They'll organise the metering for you.
• Submit an online application. To apply, you'll need:
  • Your electrician details
  • Your details - including the connection address
  • What type of supply you want - including the capacity of the supply
  • Your electricity retailer information
• Livening your connection - we'll work with your electrician and retailer to arrange the connection and complete the inspection and livening of this so you can start to use electricity.

Timeframes

We'd generally allow 3-4 weeks for a simple connection to be completed (if power is to the boundary and ready to be connected).

Apply for a simple connection here.

Our standard connections cover:

• When there isn't a power supply already at your property or connection point.
• When you want to change an existing supply.

A standard connection application follows a simple process with minimal investigation or network design.

Standard connections may include:

• Single home or a small number of new residential or business connections.
• Change of supply (alteration) - being an increase or decrease in capacity at a site (where the network is not constrained).
• A small to mid-sized commercial connection (where the network is not constrained).
• A residential or small to mid-sized commercial DG connection (up to 300kW).

More information on standard connections is available here.

A complex application requires additional work by and time from the EDB or service providers to analyse information, assess the network, scope options and complete studies. Project size or technical criteria may also qualify a project as needing additional work.

Examples that tend to be complex are:

• A 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.

More information on complex connections is available here.

Providing project information, choosing service providers, approving the proposed solution and paying applicable costs.

Reviewing the application, assessing the network, approving the connection, completing or coordinating network work, and connecting to the network.

Designing or completing electrical work on your property and advising when the installation is ready.

Setting up your electricity account and arranging metering.

Confirm the installation meets the required electrical standards before it is energised.

The costs involved for delivering your connection / network capacity used are assessed by us and consider factors like the complexity of the design, the equipment required, your location and the work involved. We may need to assess your design, site plans or work required prior to providing you with a quote. For on property work (customer-side of the network), you can get quotes from more than one provider so you can compare prices.

More information about our network connection prices can be found here.

For larger customers, we determine initial chargeable quantities based on the capacity requested for a new connection, and these apply from the date the new connection is livened. Sometimes initial usage is low, but we don’t provide reduced charges for the low utilisation in order to minimise the extent to which these costs fall to other customers.

For information on our pricing, click here.

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 (owned by us OR a telecommunication provider such as Chorus), a pillar (small black or green box), or a pit (usually covered by a round black cover). If none of these are present then a point of connection will be required to be built. Typically, this will be at your boundary.

If you are carrying out electrical work, or completing maintenance that requires you to work near power lines, you will need to request a temporary disconnection of your power from our network.

In most cases it's free to have your power disconnected between Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm, as long as you give us three working days' notice. To arrange your safety disconnection, call us on 0800 430 460.

We typically own the electricity network up to and including your point of connection, though there may be exceptions such as where our transformer is on your property (e.g. farms).

The low voltage service line within your property you normally own and are responsible for. This connects to your meter box which is the responsibility of your retailer. The meter box connects to your circuit board that has all the fuses for each circuit in your house. You own this circuit board and all the wiring from this point.

To request a 224 confirmation, email enquiries@eanetworks.co.nz. Please include your name, phone number and the address that you need the 224 confirmations for. You can provide further information as available (for example you might have an EA Networks reference number).

One of our team will send you through written confirmation as required or will get in touch to discuss this with you further.

If you're working with an electrician, they may be able to confirm if there is already power connected to the right place. If you aren't sure, you can give us a call on 0800 430 460 or fill in our online application and we'll figure it out for you.

A pioneer scheme ensures that when a customer pays to extend the electricity network, future customers who benefit to connecting to the network extension must share that cost by paying a rebate to the first mover. This ensures customers are treated fairly and network growth is encouraged.

The scheme runs for a set period of time and is managed by EA Networks. Find out more here.