General electrical

General electrical is the everyday work every home needs: the switchboard, safety switches, lighting, power points, ceiling fans, outdoor circuits and the wiring that joins them.

The switchboard is the piece that matters most for an energy upgrade. Solar, a battery, an EV charger, a heat pump and an induction cooktop each need their own protected circuit, and an older board may not have the space, the capacity or the safety switches to take them.

Doing this work once, properly, is what lets the later steps go in without surprises.

General electrical is step eight of ten, but in practice it is often done early or alongside another step. If the switchboard needs upgrading before solar or a charger can go in, the plan says so, and the electrician usually does both on one visit.

It sits at eight in the list because it is a supporting step rather than an energy step. It does not make power or use it differently. It makes the rest possible.

We claim no saving for general electrical work, by design. A new switchboard or a new power point does not change how much energy your home uses. We will not attach a figure to work that does not have one.

What it does instead is convenience, safety and sound workmanship. Safety switches on every circuit. Lighting that suits the room. Power where you need it, including outdoors and in the garage where the charger will go. A board with the capacity for everything the plan calls for, so nothing has to be redone later.

All of this is electrical work. The person doing it must hold a Queensland electrical contractor licence, and they provide that licence number before they can take a job through SaveTonnes.

Keep the paperwork from the job with your plan.

We do not install, and we are not owned by anyone who does.

One enquiry brings up to three quotes from local installers. Each quote should show:

The scope, item by item: switchboard, circuits, safety switches, lights, points, fans.

For a switchboard, the number of ways and whether it leaves room for solar, battery and EV charger circuits.

Whether the main supply needs upgrading, and whether that involves your electricity distributor.

Make and model of the major components.

The warranty on the materials and on the work.

If a quote is missing any of these, ask for it before you choose.

Start with a few questions about your home and we will set out the ten steps in the right order for you, and tell you whether the switchboard needs attention first.

Solar PV, which needs its own protected circuit on the board. EV charger, the most common reason a garage needs a new circuit. Induction cooktop, which can need a kitchen circuit upgrade.