A new air conditioner, EV charger or induction cooktop usually needs its own circuit, a free space on the board and enough supply behind it. We add up what you run now and what's coming, then recommend the smallest fix.
When to get it checked
Every space is taken
No empty positions, and newer circuits doubled up on one breaker. There's nowhere for the new appliance's protection.
An installer has flagged it
An air con or charger installer says the board needs work first. That doesn't always mean a new board.
Trips when the house is busy
The main switch or a breaker drops out on hot afternoons or cold evenings, with the air con, oven and dryer running. That's a house near its limit.
Scorch marks, buzzing or a hot smell
Discoloured breakers, buzzing or a faint hot-plastic smell mean something is running too hot. Get it checked now, not when the new appliance arrives.
Why it happens
4 common causes
Going electric one appliance at a time
Gas cooking becomes induction, gas heating becomes reverse cycle, hot water moves to a heat pump. Each adds a big load the board wasn't laid out for.
Boards sized for the house as built
Most started with a few spare spaces. Extensions, a pool pump and extra air conditioners have used them up.
A supply sized for gas
In many older homes, the cable from the pole or pit was sized when heating, hot water and cooking ran on gas. Go electric and the supply becomes the limit.
What the appliance asks for
Energy Safe Victoria says an air conditioner manufacturer's requirement for a dedicated circuit or RCD protection must be followed. Chargers and cooktops have their own.
What the job covers
What we usually do on this job. Your quote confirms it for your place.
- Load check of current and planned appliances
- Board, main switch, earthing and mains checked
- Fixed price for the agreed scope
- Protection matched to each new appliance
- Safety switches where the work requires them
- New and altered circuits tested and labelled
- Certificate of Electrical Safety
Your options, explained
Use the space you have
Low disruption- Best for
- Sound boards with spare positions
- How it works
- The new circuit's protection goes into an empty space, with any safety switch changes the alteration calls for.
- Worth knowing
- Only after the supply is checked too.
Extend or replace the board
Medium disruption- Best for
- Full boards, or several new loads at once
- How it works
- An extra enclosure goes beside the old board, or a bigger board replaces it, with every circuit tested and labelled.
- Worth knowing
- Leaves room for the next upgrade.
Increase the supply
High disruption- Best for
- Demand the connection can't carry
- How it works
- Heavier consumer mains and an upgraded connection: a larger single-phase supply, or a single to three-phase upgrade for big combined loads.
- Worth knowing
- The network side is your distributor's. Charger load management can sometimes avoid it.
The people behind the work
Our own photos from jobs like this one. Family-run, based in Altona Meadows, with 19 years in the industry.
Licensed electrical contractor (REC 38187)See more team photos
Worth knowing before you book
- Check before you buy
- New reverse cycle air con can be the load that tips a board over. We're one local team for electrical, heating and cooling, so we plan both.
- Tell us the whole list
- A charger now and induction next year is easier to plan for once than twice.
- Plan for a power-off
- Mention freezers, home offices or medical equipment so the outage is planned around them.
What affects the price?
The right scope depends on your installation. These are the details we check so your quote is useful, with any additional work explained before it proceeds.
How much you're adding
A split system adds far less than a charger, cooktop and heat pump hot water together. What runs at once decides whether the supply needs work.
The board you have now
A tidy board with spare spaces is simpler than one that must come out. An old backing panel may contain asbestos, and a deteriorated one may need a licensed removalist.
The cable coming in
If the consumer mains are too small, the run from the pole or pit, overhead or underground, sets the scope.
Inspection
Replacing the main switchboard or consumer mains is prescribed work, so an independent inspection is part of the job.
How it runs
- 1
Tell us what's coming
Now and later, with model numbers if you have them.
- 2
Check and quote
Aaron checks the board and supply and gives you an upfront price.
- 3
Make room and certify
Done, tested and labelled, with your certificate.
Step by step, in more detail
4 steps
Hear the whole plan
We ask what you're adding now and later. Model numbers help, because the manual sets the circuit requirements.
Check the board and supply
Main switch, spare spaces, protection, earthing and the incoming cable. The weakest link sets what the house can carry.
Work out the demand
We add up the loads, allowing for what really runs together, and recommend the smallest fix at a fixed price for the agreed scope.
Do the work, test and certify
Every new and altered circuit is tested and labelled, and you get a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
What is safe to do, and what to leave to us
Safe for you to do
- Note which appliances were running when something tripped.
- Stagger the oven, dryer and heating until the work is done.
- If the board smells hot or smokes, switch off at the main switch only if it's safe to reach, then keep clear. If there's fire, get everyone out.
Leave these to us
- Charging an EV from a power board or extension lead.
- Opening the switchboard or swapping a breaker. Energy Safe Victoria says unlicensed electrical work is illegal and potentially fatal.
- Taping or holding a breaker on so it can't trip.
When to get us in
- Before ordering air con, an EV charger or an induction cooktop
- When an installer says the board or supply is too small
- Straight away if the board buzzes, smells hot or is scorched
More detail
Board space versus supply capacity
Space is a free position on the board for the new circuit's protection. Supply is how much current the house can draw at once, set by the main switch, consumer mains and connection. A board can have gaps on a stretched supply, or be full with supply to spare.
Safety switch rules shape the fix
A new circuit needs safety switch protection. Energy Safe Victoria's guidance says altering an installation brings in additional RCD protection, and replacing a board means RCDs on all final sub-circuits. Type AC devices can't be installed, even like for like. An old board with one safety switch and no room for another often can't take one more breaker.
How the new loads overlap
What runs together matters more than the biggest appliance. A charger draws steadily for hours, often overnight. Induction peaks around dinner, when winter heating works hardest, and air con pulls most on the hottest and coldest days. So we ask about your routine, not just the list.
Local rules and conditions
Victorian requirements and local conditions that shape this job, with the sources listed at the foot of the page.
Network side and your side
Powercor supplies Altona Meadows, Point Cook, Tarneit and Werribee through Altona Terminal Station (West). Jemena's area reaches Williamstown and Footscray, and parts of Port Melbourne are on CitiPower. From the point of supply, the installation is the owner's responsibility.
Post-war homes in Altona and Laverton
Hobsons Bay's planning scheme says post-war expansion transformed Altona and Laverton. Homes from that era were wired for far smaller loads, and many need more capacity in the supply before heavy new loads go on.
Rentals, cooling and the board
From 1 March 2027, rental providers must install energy-efficient fixed cooling in the main living area when a new agreement starts, and from 1 July 2030 every rental needs it. In judging whether cooling is unreasonable to install, the regulations don't count electrical work or a switchboard upgrade for the extra load as installation costs.
Useful reading
Guides to read before you decide, with checklists and questions to bring to the quote.
- Planning a switchboard upgrade without surprisesWhat the electrician needs to check, how to compare the scope and what to organise before the power goes off.
- Going all-electric in a Melbourne homeHot water, heating and cooking don't have to go electric at once. How to stage the move off gas, check the switchboard once and time each step.
- Home EV charging: a checklist before ordering a chargerMatch daily driving and parking to the supply, cable route and charger features that matter.
- Moving to induction: the checks to make before you buyA practical order for checking the supply, bench opening, gas disconnection and installation day.
Common questions
Questions people ask about this
- Why do my lights dim when the air conditioner or fridge starts?A brief dip as a motor starts is common.
- What do the numbers and letters on my circuit breakers mean?The number is the breaker's rating in amps: the current it can carry continuously without tripping.
- Why does my main switch trip?Many main switches are only isolators and can't trip on their own.
- Can a rental's failed gas hot water be replaced with gas after March 2027?No.
- Can one reverse-cycle air conditioner meet both rental heating and cooling standards?Yes.
From the blog
- Can one house charge two electric cars?Most homes can charge two EVs, because few cars need a full charge every night. Sharing, scheduling, load management and, for some homes, three-phase make it work.
- Induction or ceramic electric cooktop: which is worth it?Induction responds faster, cleans more easily and keeps the glass cooler. Ceramic still suits some cookware and kitchens. Here is how the two compare day to day.
- Installing an EV charger in an apartment or townhouseOwners corporation approval, which meter the charger runs from, the cable route through common property and the building's supply all need settling first.
Sources for the rules and local facts on this page
18 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Powercor Australia, Project Assessment Draft Report: Altona Terminal Station (West) (June 2025): It supplies part of Melbourne’s western growth corridor. This includes the areas of Laverton, Laverton North, Altona Meadows, Werribee, Wyndham Vale, Mount Cottrell, Eynesbury, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing and Point Cook… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Jemena Electricity Networks (Vic) Ltd, 2025 Distribution Annual Planning Report (2 December 2025): Figure 1-1 shows the JEN supply area, which ranges from Gisborne South, Clarkefield and Mickleham in the north to Williamstown and Footscray in the south, and from Hillside, Sydenham and Brooklyn in the west to… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.CitiPower, Distribution Annual Planning Report December 2024 (hosted by the Australian Energy Regulator): The zone substation in Fisherman’s Bend (E) is served by two sub-transmission lines from Fisherman Bend Terminal station (FBTS). The zone substation supplies areas of Fisherman’s Bend and Port Melbourne. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.Energy Safe Victoria: The point of supply is the changeover point from the electricity distribution network to the electrical installation, where the property owner becomes responsible for the maintenance and repair of the electrical… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 5.Victorian Government, Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme (PDF snapshot, last updated by VC292 on 11/09/2025): The heritage places of Hobsons Bay reflect the key themes that have shaped the development of the city since the establishment of Williamstown in the 1840s as the first port of Melbourne, through the development of… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 6.Consumer Affairs Victoria: From 1 March 2027, rental providers must install an energy-efficient, fixed cooling system with an outlet in the main living area. This applies at the start of a new rental agreement. All rental properties must have… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 7.Victorian Legislation (Chief Parliamentary Counsel): (6) For the purposes of subclauses (4)(a) and (5)(a), the following is not part of the cost of installation— (a) the cost of electrical work required for the installation; (b) the cost of upgrading an electrical… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 8.Energy Safe Victoria: This means that if the manufacturer’s specifications require an air conditioner to be installed on a dedicated circuit or protected by a residual current device then they must be adhered to. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 9.Energy Safe Victoria: Clause 2.6.3.2.2 requires all final sub-circuits in a domestic installation be protected by a residual current device (RCD). A hot water service is included in this requirement Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 10.Energy Safe Victoria: Clause 2.6.3.2.5 of the Wiring Rules states: Additional protection by RCDs shall be provided in existing electrical installations where alterations or a switchboard replacement is completed. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 11.Energy Safe Victoria: If a switchboard is required to be replaced then as per clause 2.6.3.2.5 (Alterations to installations and replacement of switchboards) of AS/NZS 3000: RCD’s are required on all final sub-circuits. Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 12.Energy Safe Victoria: Type AC RCDs must not be installed in Australia. This includes like for like replacement. We recommend that electrical contractors advise customers of the new requirements. However, it is not mandatory to replace… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 13.Energy Safe Victoria: The electrician has eight business days after the work is completed to have that work inspected by a licensed electrical inspector (LEI). If an electrician replaces a main switchboard at a property, power cannot go back… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 14.Energy Safe Victoria: Whenever a licensed electrician completes any electrical installation work, they must provide a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 15.Energy Safe Victoria: 'Prescribed' certificates are for electrical installation work that requires inspection by a Licensed Electrical inspector. This includes (but is not limited to): Consumer mains cables, main switchboard, meter box and… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 16.Energy Safe Victoria: Gas and electricity are inherently dangerous and it’s illegal and potentially fatal for unlicensed and unqualified people to undertake any electrical or gasfitting work. Homeowners and consumers must always use… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 17.WorkSafe Victoria: A person who has management or control of a workplace, and employers or self-employed persons and employees should be aware of the typical uses and applications of ACMs, particularly in buildings constructed or… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 18.WorkSafe Victoria: If the condition of electrical mounting boards has deteriorated or ACD is present an asbestos removal licence holder may be required to undertake asbestos removal work For example, if an ACM electrical mounting panel… Accessed 30 September 2026.
