Switch to solar: Powering your home with renewable energy

Solar power is a smart, sustainable solution for lowering your power bills (significantly), while caring for our environment. By installing solar panels, you will lower your electricity costs, increase the value of your property and reduce your carbon footprint. It’s now even easier to make the switch to solar.

What is solar power?

Solar energy harnesses the power of the sun to generate electricity for your home or business. It’s a clean, !00% renewable source of energy that doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases. Electricity is generated by sunlight via solar panels, which reduces your reliance on traditional power grids.

Cost savings

Installing a solar panel system instantly saves you money. Grid-connected solar power sends power to your home. You can also sell excess power you generate back to power companies. This means you’re not only saving money by generating your own power, but you’re also making some!

Payback period

The payback period for solar panels varies depending on several factors. Typically, it takes between five to eight years for a typical solar power system to pay for itself on a New Zealand home. People who are high power users, power electric cars, or typically work from home during the day, could potentially benefit faster.

Number of panels

The number of panels needed to power a house depends on several factors, including the amount of sunlight your home receives, and your energy consumption. We can help you to figure out how many panels you’ll need.

Maintenance

Solar panels require little maintenance but to keep them in good working order, it’s a good idea to give them an annual clean.

You’re safe with us

#Electrical is a proud member of the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ), which means we work to a strict SEANZ Code of Conduct around installing solar, battery and energy management system technology. You can learn more about SEANZ by visiting their website.

What we offer

Our experienced #electricians provide:

• Expert advice on the best solar setup for your energy needs.

• High-quality solar panels and equipment from trusted providers.

• Seamless installation by certified Master Electricians to the SEANZ Code of Conduct.

• Ongoing support to ensure your system performs at its best.

Keen to chat?

Whether you’re just start to explore solar power or ready to install a system, we’re here to help. Contact us for a free, no-obligation chat and take a step towards a sunnier, more sustainable future.

Need a heat pump? We can help you

#Electricial now offers heat pump and air conditioning solutions throughout the Wellington region – including Porirua, the Hutt Valley, Kāpiti Coast and the Wairapara.

With winter coming, you might be thinking about heating options in your home.

Why choose a heat pump?

Heat pumps are a cost-effective alternative to traditional electric heating options.

Heat pumps transfer heat more efficiently by distributing it around your home. This can heat up a space faster than traditional electric heating options, like electric heaters. The heat is also more efficiently transferred to nearby cooler parts of your house.

The result is a warmer space, faster.

Split system heat pumps

#Electrical can talk to you about split system heat pumps. A split system offers a heat pump with heating for winter and air conditioning for the summer months.

Why choose #Electrical?

#Electrical installs all heat pumps to the Healthy Homes standard. We can talk to you about the different options available to you and recommend a product that suits your budget, home and lifestyle. We pride ourselves on our customer service and our fast, efficient service.

Call us today to arrange a free chat.

Looking for a trusted electrician?

At #Electrical, we pride ourselves on our customer service, and this is reflected in the positive reviews we’ve received from our customers.

Our customers are pretty smart. Some do their homework by looking at customer reviews before they engage an electrician.

We know that our customers are looking for a trusted electrician when they are considering electrical work.

That’s why we’re certified Master Electricians. This gives you peace of mind that the work we do for you is certified and comes with a $20,000 workmanship guarantee.

But you don’t have to take our word for it.

If you want to read what some of our customers have told us, you can head over to the Happy Customers page of our website.

Past customers have given us a 5 Star rating on Google, and have rated us 4.7 on Facebook, which we’re pretty chuffed with.

We also know that some of our customers have found us on the No Cowboys website, where 99% of customers who have used us recommend us. You can read these reviews on the No Cowboys website.

We’re so pleased about this and are committed to providing exceptional service to our customers for years to come.

4 mistakes customers make

We’re lucky to have the coolest customers in the coolest little Capital. Here’s four things to consider when you’re doing your next home renovation project.

1. Doin’ it yourself

Kiwis are famous DIYers. But having a crack at your own electrical work, or letting an unqualified person loose on your electrical systems, can be dangerous. Sometimes the best-of-cost-saving-intentions wind up costing you more money to fix or put you and your family in danger. Before you undertake any electrical work on your house, we urge you to chat to an electrician.

2. Choosing cheap imported products

Saving money, particularly in the current economic climate, is the goal of most people looking to have renovations or upgrades done to their house. Often, this means shopping around for the best priced products. A word of advice, though: avoid cheap imports.

Cheap imported products are almost always low quality, which means they don’t have the longevity of better quality (and slightly pricier) products. They might not be as energy efficient and cost more to run. There’s also a risk they won’t meet New Zealand safety standards. Investing in quality products upfront will save you money in the long term.

3. Getting sucked in by sales

Sometimes it’s tempting to purchase your own products to save money and simply have your electrician install them. While we support you shopping round, be wary of heavily discounted products – they might not be the high quality product you think they are.

Having an electrician source a product from their supplier means you’ll get that product cheaper than the retail price. And because it’s sourced from an electrical supplier, you can rest assured that you’re getting a quality product.

4. Going for the cheapest quote

There’s an old saying in business when it comes to wanting things good, cheap and fast – we think it’s pretty bang on!

You can have things good and cheap but it won’t be fast
You can have things fast and cheap but it won’t be good
You can have things good and fast but it won’t be cheap

Of course, it’s entirely up to you as to which one of those statements best suits your project.

Switchboards: when to consider an upgrade

Your switchboard is the central hub of your home's electrical wiring. It's responsible for directing electricity from the main supply to various circuits all around your home. Your switchboard is generally located either inside your home or near your meter box.

Why should I consider upgrading my switchboard?

A switchboard's electrical integrity is essential for your family's safety and should be upgraded every 25 years.

Outdated electrical systems have inefficient power distribution, especially when you start adding modern appliances to the load, causing problems and even hazards.

Many of the beautiful old homes around Wellington were designed and built with fewer outlets and less lighting, simply because there was no need. Nowadays, our homes have much more technology. Modern appliances, additional lighting and extra outlets puts pressure on older electrical systems, causing outages and potentially hazards such as electrocution and electrical fires.

If you’re considering extensive renovations to your home, upgrading your switchboard is an investment in futureproofing your home for future electrical demand. Common additions like ducted heat pumps and spa pools need dedicated circuits to power them and prevent your switchboard from overloading.

How do I know I need to upgrade my switchboard?

If you notice a burning smell in any part of your house, or if you feel a tingling sensation when you touch an electrical appliance, contact an electrician immediately.

However, less obvious signs can be:

• Consistent flickering or dimming lights. This can be caused by loose wiring in old switchboards.

• Short-circuiting appliances. Older switchboards have a propensity to ‘trip’ (short circuit). This is essentially a safety mechanism to protect the circuit from overloading and causing an electrical fire.

• An overcrowded switchboard. If your switchboard's wiring looks overcrowded, err on the side of caution.

Switchboard upgrade: before and after

We recently upgraded a Lower Hutt customer’s switchboard to provide his household and appliances with extra protection.

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Switchboard: before upgrade

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Switchboard: after upgrade

Need to chat about your switchboard? Call us for advice or an obligation-free quote.

3 reasons to use a Master Electrician

We chose to become certified Master Electricians to give our customers the peace of mind that the work they’re paying for is of the highest quality. 

For our business, being a Master Electrician means we’re kept informed of the latest guidelines and legislation changes. This means our work is following the latest requirements and safety standards.

What does using a Master Electrician mean for you?  

1. Quality assurance 

Master Electricians continually review, educate and support us so we maintain the highest industry standards.

2. Trust

As Master Electricians, we thoroughly test our work; when the job’s done, you’ll get official certification.

3. Workmanship guarantee

Using a Master Electrician means you automatically get a $20,000 Workmanship Guarantee on residential work. 

Find out more about Master Electricians.

An update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Latest update: 9 June 2020

Our customers’ safety is of the upmost importance to us, which is why we feel it is important to share what we’re doing around COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

We are closely monitoring and following the Ministry of Health’s guidance around COVID-19 and will immediately act on any advice or guidance they give.

In addition, we are taking the precautionary measures of:

• Thoroughly washing our hands before we come into your house and after we leave

• Regularly cleaning and wiping down our work gear and vehicles

• Keeping face masks and gloves in our vehicles to wear, should they be required

Should any of the #Electrical team feel flu-like symptoms coming on, they will refrain from coming to work. If this affects work scheduled at your property, we’ll notify you as quickly as possible and arrange for another team member to do your work instead.

We ask that you notify us immediately should you feel flu-like symptoms coming on – we’re more than happy to reschedule your work.

We appreciate your support as a customer and ask that you please take care of yourself and those around you.

If you have any questions, please give me a call on 027 316 8588.

Chris

#Electrical goes Full English

This year brings some exciting new changes to the #Electrical team.

Those of you who’ve used #Electrical’s services over the last few months will have already met our new #Electrician, Alistair.

Alistair made the big move to Aotearoa from Old Blighty right around the time we were looking for another #Electrician to join our team. The stars aligned and Ali came on board.

It seems Ali was born with a customer service ethos so he’s the perfect fit for our team. You’ll probably never see him not smiling and you know when he turns up to your place, the work will be done quick, professionally and to the highest standard.

Right about the time England beat the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup, Leigh decided it was time to leave #Electrical. As the sun set on 2019, we saw a changing of the guards for #Electrical.

A new decade brings new opportunities and 2020 has gotten off to a cracker start for Chris and Ali. We’re so excited for the year ahead and look forward to working with you soon.

Get in touch if you need a hand with any electrical requirement. Have a wonderful year ahead.

Why you should always choose quality over price

We always recommend good quality, reasonably priced products for our customers.

And this is why.

We had an emergency call out from a customer who's accidentally left his garage light on when he set off for work. 

When he came home later that evening, he noticed black discolouration up the wall - leading from his light switch. He quickly took steps to stop any further damage then gave us a call; this fast thinking saved his home.

The customer's damaged electrical switch, which almost led to a house fire.

Upon inspection, we noticed the product was a cheap brand. We were able to replace the electrical switch to a higher quality, safer product.

Don't be swayed by cheap electrical products. Always put your safety first.

4 Quick Electrical Safety Tips

Every one of us has, at some stage, experienced an electric shock. Sadly, some of us have also experienced a house fire. At #Electrical, we're committed to electrical safety so here's a few quick tips to keep you and your family safe.

1. DON'T OVERLOAD YOUR OUTLETS

If you live in an older home, you’ll probably find you have one or two electrical outlets in each room – and a lot more than two items of electrical equipment to keep charged! Don’t feel tempted to plug a bunch of stuff into a multi box or use multiple extension cords to plug everything in. This unsafe practice can cause power outages – and even fires.

If you’ve more electrical equipment than outlets, the best thing you can do is get in touch with an electrician to organise having more power outlets added. And, if you need to use multi boxes, make sure they’re the kind with surge control.

2. CHILD PROOF YOUR ELECTRICAL OUTLETS

If you have young children, taking the time to teach them electrical safety is one of the best things you can do. However, for those with very young children, here’s three quick tips to keep in mind:

• Invest in safety caps for unused electrical outlets – this will prevent curious kids from sticking foreign objects into plug holes

• Keep all electrical cords tucked away, neat and tidy

• In areas where water is around – like bathrooms and kitchens – always ensure appliances like hair dryers and toasters are out of reach of curious kids

3. LISTEN FOR THE BUZZ

If you hear a buzz coming from an electrical outlet after you’ve plugged something in, this is normally a sign that there’s an issue with the outlet. Remove the plug and switch the electrical outlet off at the wall immediately, then get in touch with an electrician. Ignoring the buzz could lead to power outages – or a fire.

4. BE CAREFUL WITH CORDS

This is less of a safety measure and more of a cost-saving measure. Never yank an electrical cord from the wall. Yanking a cord can damage the appliance, plug or outlet.