- Home
- > Our Articles
- > Level 2 Electrician vs Regular Electrician
- ElitePEM Article
Level 2 Electrician vs Regular Electrician: When You Need a Level 2 ASP in NSW
- 5 Min Read
Watch how we support electrical infrastructure across commercial facilities and operational environments.
What "Level 2"Actually Means In NSW
“Level 2 electrician” isn’t a separate trade qualification — it’s an additional accreditation layered on top of a standard NSW electrical licence. It refers to the Ausgrid Accredited Service Provider (ASP) program, which authorises specific contractors to work on the part of the electricity network that connects the public grid to your property.
The ASP scheme has three levels:
- ASP Level 1 — high-voltage network construction (substations, transmission, major infrastructure). These are the contractors building the grid itself.
- ASP Level 2 — service connection work for homes and businesses: connecting and disconnecting your service line, installing and upgrading meters, increasing service capacity, working on private poles and the point of attachment.
- ASP Level 3 — design work for ASP Level 1 and Level 2 projects.
Most homeowners and facility managers will only ever encounter an ASP Level 2 contractor, because Level 2 is the level that handles everyday connection work on residential and commercial properties.
Crucially, every Level 2 ASP must also hold a current NSW Fair Trading electrical contractor’s licence. The Fair Trading licence covers standard installation, maintenance and testing; the Ausgrid ASP accreditation sits on top of it and authorises the network-side work that an unaccredited electrician is legally barred from touching. So when you hire a Level 2 like ElitePEM, you’re getting both: a fully licensed electrician and an authorised network service provider in the same visit.
The Work Only A Level 2 ASP Can Legally Perform In NSW
The single biggest reason this distinction matters is that there is a clear, legally enforced line between the work a regular electrician can do and the work that requires a Level 2 ASP. Cross that line without accreditation and the work is unlawful, the connection won’t be approved by Ausgrid, and the property owner usually pays twice.
Here is the work that only a Level 2 ASP can legally perform on the NSW network:
- New service line connections. Connecting a new build, a granny flat, or a subdivided property to the Ausgrid network for the first time. The physical connection from the street pole or pit to your meter box is Level 2 work.
- Service line disconnections and reconnections. Whether you’re demolishing, renovating, or doing major switchboard work that needs the supply pulled, only a Level 2 can disconnect and reconnect your service.
- Metering installations and replacements. New meters, smart meter upgrades, additional metering for solar, EV chargers or off-peak hot water — connecting any meter to the live network is Level 2 work.
- Service capacity upgrades. Going from single-phase to three-phase, or increasing your supply size for a switchboard upgrade, EV charger or extension, touches the service mains and is Level 2 work.
- Overhead-to-underground conversions. Removing overhead wires and running an underground service from the street to your property requires Level 2 ASP coordination with Ausgrid.
- Defect notice rectification. When Ausgrid issues a defect notice — for unsafe service mains, a leaning pole, frayed cabling, or an unsafe point of attachment — only a Level 2 ASP can carry out the repair.
- Point-of-attachment and private pole work. Replacing or repairing the point where the network attaches to your building, or any work on a private pole on your property, is Level 2 territory.
A regular electrician can sometimes start one of these jobs (for example, a switchboard upgrade) but will need a Level 2 to complete the network-side portion. That’s where homeowners get caught — which is why we recommend booking Level 2 ASP work first if there is any chance the network is involved.
5 Signs You Need A Level 2, Not A Regular Sparky
If any of the following apply, book a Level 2 from the start — it will save you a second call-out fee and a delay.
- You’re upgrading your switchboard and increasing supply. A simple switchboard replacement on existing supply may be fine for a regular electrician. The moment the upgrade involves a service capacity increase (e.g. moving to three-phase, fitting consumer mains for an EV charger), it becomes Level 2 work because the service mains and metering must be coordinated with Ausgrid.
- You need a new meter or a smart meter installed. Whether it’s a fresh meter for a new build, a smart meter swap as part of a retailer rollout, an additional meter for solar export, or sub-metering for a granny flat, connecting the meter to the live network is Level 2 work.
- You have private pole work to do. If your property is fed by a private pole — common on rural blocks, large acreage and older Hunter Region properties — any repair, replacement, straightening, or pole-top change is Level 2.
- You’ve received a defect notice from Ausgrid. A defect notice means Ausgrid has identified an unsafe condition on your service. It carries a deadline. A regular electrician cannot legally rectify it.
- You’re converting overhead wires to underground. Removing the overhead service and running an underground feed — often done during a major renovation or for aesthetic reasons — requires a Level 2 ASP to coordinate the cut-over with Ausgrid.
How Much Does A Level 2 Electrician Cost In NSW?
- Regular electrician hourly rate: roughly $60–$120 per hour across NSW for standard residential and commercial work.
- Level 2 ASP hourly rate: typically $120–$180 per hour, though most Level 2 jobs are quoted as a fixed price for the whole scope rather than charged purely by the hour.
The premium reflects what the accreditation actually requires: higher levels of public liability and professional indemnity insurance, ongoing Ausgrid compliance and audit costs, specialised plant (elevated work platforms, cable handlers, network testers), and the time spent coordinating outages, switching and approvals with Ausgrid for every job.
For total job cost, the bigger drivers are usually the scope of work (a meter swap is very different to a full overhead-to-underground conversion), whether Ausgrid needs to attend or approve a network outage, how much make-safe, traffic management or pole work is involved, and whether an existing defect or non-compliance is uncovered mid-job.
A reputable Level 2 will give you a written quote before starting. ElitePEM does this as standard across the Central Coast, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Region.
What To Ask Before Hiring A Level 2 Electrician
Not every contractor advertising “Level 2” is currently accredited. Before you book, ask the following:
- What’s your Ausgrid ASP accreditation number? Every active Level 2 ASP is issued an accreditation number by Ausgrid. A genuine Level 2 will give you the number without hesitation, and you can confirm their status directly with Ausgrid.
- Is your insurance current — and to what limits? Level 2 work requires substantially higher public liability cover than general electrical work because it touches the live network. Ask for the certificate of currency and confirm the cover is at least $20m public liability.
- How do you coordinate the outage and approvals with Ausgrid? A capable Level 2 will walk you through the Ausgrid process — when they’ll lodge the connection request, how the outage is scheduled, what notifications you’ll receive, and what happens on the day.
- Will I get a written, fixed-price quote? Avoid open-ended hourly arrangements on Level 2 jobs. The scope should be documented up front.
- What documentation will I receive after the job? You should expect the Notification of Service Work (NOSW) or equivalent Ausgrid paperwork, a Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW), and any meter or test certificates relevant to the job. ElitePEM provides all of this as standard.
Why Most NSW Property Owners Get This Wrong (And Pay Twice)
The most common mistake we see across the Central Coast and Hunter is property owners booking a regular electrician for a job that’s partly inside-the-property and partly network-side — and only finding out mid-job that the second half needs a Level 2.
A few real-world patterns:
- The "switchboard upgrade for an EV charger" scenario. A regular electrician quotes the new switchboard. They start the work, then realise the existing service mains can’t carry the new load. The job stops. A Level 2 has to be brought in to upgrade the service, coordinate an Ausgrid outage and re-energise. The homeowner pays both call-out fees and waits an extra week.
- The "smart meter problem." A retailer books in a meter swap, the meter installer arrives, finds the service mains or point of attachment is non-compliant, and issues a defect on the spot. The retailer can’t proceed. The homeowner now needs a Level 2 to rectify before the meter can be installed.
- The "old fuse blew, just replace it" scenario. A regular electrician identifies the issue is on the supply side, not the customer side. They legally can’t go any further. Another visit, another fee.
In every case, booking the Level 2 first would have been faster and cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Level 2 electrician" actually mean in NSW?
What’s the difference between a Level 2 electrician and a regular electrician?
Do I need a Level 2 electrician for a switchboard upgrade?
Can a regular electrician install a new meter?
Why is a Level 2 electrician more expensive?
How do I check if an electrician is a genuine Level 2 ASP?
What does ASP mean and who issues the accreditation?
Do I need a Level 2 electrician to rectify an Ausgrid defect notice?
How long does Level 2 work typically take to complete?
Can a Level 2 electrician do regular electrical work too?
Get A Level 2 Quote
