Arranging a connection to your property
Arranging for your property to be connected to the electricity wires or gas pipes will depend on whether you need a first-time connection, to change an existing connection, or to arrange for the existing connection to be transferred to you.
Already connected
If your home or business is already connected to the energy network (electricity wires and gas pipelines) your connection will be arranged when you contact your retailer to set up your contract and account with them. You may be charged a fee for this. You should ask your retailer about costs when you speak to them.
If you are using this opportunity to think about changing your retailer refer to Switching retailers for additional information.
First time connection
If you need to arrange a first time connection to your property (for example, a newly built house) or change your existing connection (for example, increase its capacity) you can contact your energy retailer or distributor, electrical contractor or gas fitter. Your distributor is the company who owns and maintains the poles and wires, or gas pipelines, which deliver energy to your premises. For more information on the electricity and gas distributors in your area refer to Who is my distributor?
If your distributor needs to design and build you a new connection they will provide you with a connection offer. The offer will set out the cost of the works and any terms and conditions of the offer. If you have a complaint regarding your connection offer that you are unable to resolve with your electricity business directly, the AER may be able to assist you. The fact sheet What can I do if I have a complaint about my energy? sets out the process used by the AER when considering or determining customer complaints about arranging a new electricity connection.
AER Fact sheet - Connecting electricity or gas to your property for the first time - May 2015 ( PDF 950.89 KB )
AER Fact sheet - What can I do if I have a complaint about my energy service? - December 2021 ( PDF 117.98 KB )
It’s a good idea to begin these processes well in advance as the time it will take to connect your property will depend on the type and complexity of the connection.