News & Views

The much anticipated NSW Fair Trading electronic portal for the Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW), will not be out before Christmas as expected.

Due to IT issues and the on-going testing of the system, the Project is continuing and expected to be ready for use before mid-2019. A roadshow with NECA and Fair Trading will travel around NSW to assist contractors to use the new system.

NECA will keep electrical contractors informed of the progress of the new Portal through the eNews and eAlert.

Until the new portal is operational, contractors should continue to use the NECA CCEW pads which can be purchased from your electrical wholesaler. There is an alternative version of the CCEW Form on the Fair Trading Website designed for Meter Installers, however, it contains additional information unrelated to general wiring work. I would suggest not using this form unless you are a Meter Installer, as it is difficult to use. A copy can be found here.

NOTE: Providing a CCEW to an Electrical Distributor (Ausgrid, Essential Energy or Endeavour Energy) does not relinquish your legal responsibility to keep a copy for your records, provide a copy to the Customer and/or the Electrical Regulator – Fair Trading. 

From when the NSW Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation was introduced on 1 September 2018, it is now mandatory to provide Fair Trading with a copy of the CCEW whenever a copy is required by a Distributor. Previously, Fair Trading was only concerned with stand-alone power systems and smart meter installations. This new requirement will not be a big issue as Fair Trading will receive all CCEWs from all electrical workers when the new CCEW Portal becomes operational.

Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work

Electricians must submit a Certificate of Compliance for electrical work (CCEW) under the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 and Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation 2018. A completed CCEW must be submitted within seven days of completing any safety and compliance test, on an electrical installation.

Licensees can use the NSW Fair Trading's approved PDF form or an existing approved CCEW form like the NECA Forms, and provide a copy to:

• Fair Trading.
• The customer.
• The distributor.

Who should receive a copy of the CCEW?

It’s the tester’s responsibility to make sure the following receive a copy of the CCEW:

• For any electrical work to the person (customer) for whom the work is carried out. This could be an internal Department in a large Organisation or to a Maintenance Manager in your own Department.
• For new electrical installations – customer, distributor and Fair Trading.
• Any alterations or additions to an existing electrical installation that will require additional work to be done in relation to the network connection for the installation - customer, distributor and Fair Trading.
• Work on a switchboard or associated equipment - customer, distributor and Fair Trading.
• Electrical installation work for an installation using a stand-alone power system – customer and Fair Trading.
• Installation, alteration or replacement of an electricity meter – customer and Fair Trading.

Penalties

Substantial penalties apply, including on the spot fines of up to $1000, for each occasion when a Compliance Certificate is not supplied to the consumer (or network provider if relevant). Under the legislation, substantial penalties also apply (up to $550,000) for failure to carry out electrical installation work in accordance with the technical standards set out in the Regulation. These standards are the Australian and New Zealand Wiring Rules as well as the NSW Service and Installation Rules.

For enquiries regarding CCEW forms, please contact Leon Dickson, NECA Technical Advisor on 0488 774 669 or email leon.dickson@neca.asn.au