Do I need to upgrade my switchboard? The signs, and the current standard, give you the answer. Energy Safe Victoria lists old switchboards, particularly those without a safety switch, among the tell-tale signs that home wiring may be faulty, along with sparks, flickering lights and old or broken switches and power points. If your board still has ceramic fuses, has no safety switches, or has a safety switch that fails its test, have it checked by a licensed electrician.
The current standard is AS/NZS 3000, the Wiring Rules. When a switchboard is replaced, every final sub-circuit needs safety switch protection, and the new board must be independently inspected before the power goes back on.
- Warning sign
- An old switchboard, particularly one with no safety switch
- Current standard
- AS/NZS 3000, the Wiring Rules, as published or amended
- A replaced board
- Safety switch protection on every final sub-circuit
- Before power goes back on
- Inspection by an independent licensed electrical inspector
The signs your switchboard needs attention, and how urgent each one is
Some signs mean book a check. Others mean call someone now. This table sorts them using Energy Safe Victoria's and Powercor's own advice.
| What you notice | What it can mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sparks from the switchboard, a switch or a power point | Energy Safe Victoria lists it as a sign of faulty wiring | Do not touch it. Call a licensed electrician now |
| A safety switch that will not reset | A fault on that circuit, or a failed switch | Call a licensed electrician |
| Lights stay on when you press a safety switch's test button | The safety switch may have failed | Call a licensed electrician straight away |
| Fuses blow, or safety switches trip, again and again | Something in the wiring or an appliance needs finding | Have the wiring and appliances inspected |
| Flickering or dim lights, or power to only part of the house | A supply problem, or faulty wiring: Energy Safe Victoria lists both | Keep away from the board, unplug what you can reach safely, and call Powercor on 13 24 12 |
| Ceramic fuses or fuse wire, and no safety switches | Circuits protected against overload, but nothing that protects people from shock | Book a check of the board |
| Cracked, loose or broken switches and power points | Worn fittings, often on an ageing installation | Do not touch or try to repair them. Cover them and call an electrician |
| A black or dark brown backing board behind the fuses | It may contain asbestos | Do not drill, cut or sand it. Tell your electrician before the visit |
| The house is more than 30 years old and the wiring has never been checked | Energy Safe Victoria advises a check by a licensed electrician | Book an electrical safety inspection |
| You are adding an EV charger, larger air conditioning or other big appliances | Powercor names these as common reasons to upgrade supply | Have the board and supply checked before you buy |
Two of these have their own guides. If a safety switch keeps tripping, read why does my safety switch keep tripping? If lights flicker or part of the house loses power, read why are my lights flickering?
What is the current standard for switchboards in Victoria?
The standard is AS/NZS 3000, usually called the Wiring Rules. Victoria's energy safety laws call it up "as published or amended from time to time", so the version that applies is the one in force when the work is done. Three parts of it matter most to a homeowner.
Safety switches on every circuit when the board is replaced
When a switchboard is replaced, clause 2.6.3.2.5 of AS/NZS 3000 requires safety switch (RCD) protection on all final sub-circuits. In plain terms, every circuit leaving the new board, whether it feeds lights, power points or a fixed appliance, is protected.
New homes and major building work
Powercor says safety switches are mandatory in Victoria in new premises and where major renovations occur. If you are planning building work, raise the switchboard at the design stage.
Tests before the certificate
Before a Certificate of Electrical Safety can be issued, the electrician must carry out the mandatory tests: earthing continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, correct circuit connections, earth fault-loop impedance and safety switch operation.
What about a board that is left in place?
The requirement above attaches to the work: a replaced board must meet it. For an existing board, Energy Safe Victoria's advice is to treat an old switchboard, particularly one without a safety switch, as a warning sign and have it checked. A check tells you whether the board can be made safer as it is, or should be replaced.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Replace the board, add safety switches or repair one part: what the rules say
"Upgrading" can mean three different jobs, and Victorian law treats them differently. Prescribed work is the higher-risk category that has to be inspected by an independent licensed electrical inspector, arranged by your contractor. The inspector does not work for the electrician or for Energy Safe Victoria.
| Job | Prescribed work? | Independent inspection | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replace the main switchboard | Yes | Yes. Power cannot go back on until the new board is inspected | Yes, a prescribed Certificate of Electrical Safety |
| Work on the consumer mains or the main earthing system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Add safety switches or circuit breakers to the existing board | No | No | Yes, a non-prescribed certificate |
| Replace one part like for like, such as one circuit breaker, one safety switch or one fused mains box | No | No | Yes, a non-prescribed certificate |
The timing of your copy is set by the Electricity Safety Act 1998. For prescribed work, the certificate is due 4 business days after the certificate of inspection is given. For other work, it is due one month after the certificate of compliance is completed. Not completing and giving a certificate carries a maximum of 60 penalty units under the Act, and failing to have prescribed work inspected before it is connected carries up to 120 penalty units for a person and 600 for a company.
Which job you need depends on the board. Our switchboard upgrade page sets out what we usually find, and our safety switch installation page covers adding protection to a sound board.
When a switchboard problem is an emergency
Most switchboard questions can wait for a booked visit. These cannot:
- Fire at or near the switchboard. Never use water. Turn off the power at the source only if it is safe to do so. For a small fire, use a fire blanket or a dry chemical extinguisher; for anything larger, get out and call 000.
- A tingle or shock from a tap, showerhead or appliance. Do not touch it. Call Powercor on 13 24 12 straight away, then have a registered electrical contractor investigate.
- Water in the house. Do not restore the power until a licensed electrician has tested the wiring.
- A safety switch that will not reset and leaves the house without power.
For an electrician out of hours, our 24/7 emergency electricians cover Geelong and the surrounding region.
How a switchboard upgrade works, from first visit to certificate
This is the order of events for a full replacement.
- Check and written quote. The electrician looks at the board, meter panel, consumer mains and main earth.
- Supply isolation, if needed. Where the supply itself has to be isolated, a registered electrical contractor applies to Powercor through its eConnect portal. Isolation is temporary and done by appointment.
- New board fitted. Every final sub-circuit is connected to safety switch protection, as the Wiring Rules require on a replaced board.
- Mandatory testing. The six tests listed above.
- Independent inspection. A licensed electrical inspector, arranged by the contractor, inspects the new board. The contractor has eight business days from completion to have prescribed work inspected, and power cannot go back onto a replaced main switchboard until it has been inspected.
- Certificate. You receive your copy of the Certificate of Electrical Safety. The electrician only has to keep theirs for 3 years, so keep yours.
If the meter panel, the supply capacity or the number of phases also changes, that is an alteration request to Powercor, which only a registered electrical contractor can lodge. Powercor says most alterations take 3 to 8 weeks, and its charges are separate from the electrician's price. See our mains upgrades page.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
What affects the cost of a switchboard upgrade in Geelong
Every switchboard job is quoted after the board has been seen, because these factors change the work involved:
- Full replacement or added protection. Adding safety switches to a sound board is a smaller job than a new board, and it is not prescribed work.
- The number of circuits. Each circuit on a new board needs protection, so more circuits means more parts.
- An asbestos-backed panel. A board that may contain asbestos changes how it is removed or worked around.
- The meter panel, mains and earth. If the consumer mains or main earthing system also need work, that is prescribed work and is inspected too.
- Powercor's part. If the supply needs altering, Powercor's charges are separate from the electrician's price and come with their own lead time.
- Faults on existing circuits. Once every circuit has safety switch protection, a circuit with electricity leaking to earth will trip it. A fault the old fuses never showed has to be found and fixed before the job is finished.
- Extras while the board is open, such as switchboard surge protection or spare space for future circuits.
Buying, selling, renovating or adding big appliances
Buying a home. Energy Safe Victoria advises that homes built before the 1980s should have their wiring checked before you move in, and any house over 30 years old should be checked by a licensed electrician. If the house is from that era, our guide does a 1970s house need rewiring? covers the wiring behind the board.
Selling a home. The Energy Safe Victoria and Powercor guidance we rely on treats an old board as a warning sign to have checked. It does not tie an upgrade to a sale. A check before you list tells you where the board stands, and a replacement comes with a certificate you can show buyers.
Building work. New circuits for a kitchen or extension need space and protection on the board, so check it at the planning stage.
Adding big appliances. Powercor lists EV chargers, larger air conditioning and new appliances as common reasons to upgrade supply. If a car is on the way, our guide can a normal electrician install an EV charger? explains what to check first.
What to do next
Start with two checks. Open the switchboard door and look for safety switches, which have a test button and are marked 30 mA. Then press each test button: Energy Safe Victoria says to test safety switches every three months, after warning the household, and to reset each one afterwards. If there are no safety switches, if one fails the test, or if you have noticed any sign in the table above, book a licensed electrician.
CabledIN is a registered electrical contractor (REC 30925) based in North Geelong, with more than 20 years' experience and a lifetime workmanship warranty. We check, upgrade and replace switchboards across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast and Golden Plains, and arrange the independent inspection on every replacement. See our switchboard upgrade service, book an electrical safety inspection, or call 1300 025 555.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to upgrade my switchboard if it still has ceramic fuses?
Have it checked. Fuses protect the wiring against overloads and short circuits but are not safety switches. The check tells you whether adding safety switches is enough or the board should be replaced.
Is an old fuse box illegal in Victoria?
Energy Safe Victoria does not call an old fuse box illegal. It lists old switchboards, particularly those without a safety switch, among the tell-tale signs that home wiring may be faulty, which is a reason to have it checked.
What is the current standard for a new switchboard?
AS/NZS 3000, the Wiring Rules, as published or amended. When a switchboard is replaced, every final sub-circuit needs safety switch protection, and the new board must pass the mandatory tests and an independent inspection.
Does a switchboard upgrade need an inspection?
A main switchboard replacement is prescribed work, so yes. An independent licensed electrical inspector, arranged by the contractor, inspects it, and the power cannot go back on until that inspection is done.
Do I need to upgrade my switchboard before selling my house?
The official guidance treats an old board as a warning sign to have checked, not something tied to a sale. A check before listing tells you where the board stands.
How often should I test my safety switches?
Energy Safe Victoria says every three months. Warn the household, press the test button on each safety switch, check the power is off on that circuit, then reset it. If anything stays on, call a licensed electrician.
Will I need a new switchboard for an EV charger?
Not always. The charger needs space and protection on the board, and Powercor lists EV chargers among the common reasons to upgrade supply. Have both checked before you buy.
Can I upgrade my own switchboard?
No. DIY electrical work is illegal in Victoria, and a switchboard replacement is prescribed work that must be done by a licensed electrician working for a registered electrical contractor, then independently inspected.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.