Got a Problem with Electrical Work?
The first thing to do if you have a problem with electrical work is to discuss it with
the electrical worker or company who did the job. If you can’t come to a resolution
you’re happy with, you have the option of laying a formal complaint. This page
explains the grounds on which you can make a formal complaint, how to make a complaint and
the process for assessing and resolving complaints.
If you’re worried about the safety of any electrical work contact the Electrical
Workers Registration Board
PO Box 10 156
Wellington
Tel: 0800 661 000
Freephone:
0800 661 000
Fax: 04 473 2395
The Complaints Process
If you need advice or information, call the Electrical Workers Registration Board on
0800 66 1000. Once you have made a formal complaint to the Registrar of the Board, the law
does not allow you to withdraw it.
| The following chart summarises the Process. For greater detail click the
links to the right |
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What You Can Make a Formal Complaint About
You can make a complaint about what a registered or authorised worker did when they
carried out electrical work (or gave instructions for the work to be carried out) for you
or for someone else.
However, a complaint will only progress if it is likely that a disciplinary offence has
occurred, that is:
- the electrical work was done in an unsatisfactory, negligent or incompetent way
- the work done did not meet the requirements of the appropriate regulations or standard
- unsafe fittings were installed
- unsafe work or fittings were concealed
- documents such as certificates of compliance were not given
- unqualified workers were allowed to do electrical work, or
- the worker was not qualified.
The complaints process does not cover things like overcharging or damage to property as
these are not disciplinary offences. If you have this type of complaint, consider
contacting your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They may refer you to the Disputes Tribunal
or Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Who You Can Make a Formal Complaint About
You can lodge a complaint about anyone registered or authorised by the Board to carry
out electrical work for the public. You can complain about an individual, or a number of
individuals. However, you cannot lay a complaint about a company - it must be the
individual(s) who did the work.
Registered and authorised workers include electricians; electrical service technicians;
electrical inspectors, trainees (apprentices); line mechanics; qualified engineers;
tradespersons (plumbers and gasfitters with an electrical work certificate) and
provisional licence holders.
If your complaint is about a registered or authorised worker, the Board will follow the
complaints assessment procedures outlined in this brochure.
If your complaint is about an unregistered or unauthorised worker, the Board will
investigate it and take action, such as prosecution, if necessary.
How to Lay a Complaint
A complaint about electrical work must be made in writing and sent to the Registrar.
You need to tell the Registrar:
- where and when the electrical work was done
- who asked for the electrical work to be done
- who did it and where they live
- the name and address of any company involved (if applicable)
- what electrical work was done, and
- what you think is wrong with the electrical work or the way it was done.
You should also send copies of any relevant paperwork, for example, certificates of
compliance, invoices, quotes, correspondence etc and photographs of the work. What happens
to your complaint
Forms for lodging a complaint about a Registered
person (490 KB).
What Happens to Your Complaint
The Registrar will refer your complaint to a Complaints Assessment Committee appointed
by the Secretary of Commerce. A Committee usually has five members. Some members will have
experience in the type of electrical work that is the subject of the complaint. One of the
members is not an electrical worker, that is, not registered or authorised to carry out
electrical work.
Complaints Assessment Committee Process
The sole purpose of a Committee is to establish, by investigation, whether a complaint
is justified.
The Committee will:
- provide full details of the complaint to the worker you have complained about. Your name
will only be released if you agree (in writing).
- investigate the complaint.
To do this it will:
- seek additional/supporting information and/or seek clarification of information you have
provided. It can ask that any information is supported by a statutory declaration
- seek information from other parties involved and from witnesses
- have an independent person investigate (usually a registered electrical inspector), and
- give the worker complained about the chance to provide an explanation in response to
your complaint. This can be in writing and/or in person.
The Committee will usually meet twice. At the second meeting it will consider all the
information available and make a recommendation to the Electrical Workers Registration
Board. The worker you have complained about is allowed to appear before the Committee.
You can ask to attend the meeting, but the Committee may decline. The Committee can ask
you to attend the meeting, but you may decline. If you attend, you will be asked to give
an affirmation or oath to tell the truth, be interviewed only by Committee members and
required to pay any personal costs involved.
The Committee provides a report to the Board. You and the worker you have complained
about will also receive a copy. If the Committee recommends the complaint should not be
heard by the Board, the matter ends there. However, if they recommend the complaint be
heard by the Board, the Board must hold a disciplinary hearing.
Electrical Workers Registration Board Process
Conducting disciplinary hearings and, where necessary, disciplining electrical workers
is one of the main functions of the Board. The purpose of the hearing is to determine if a
disciplinary offence has been committed by the worker you have complained about, and if it
has, to decide what discipline and penalties are to be imposed.
The Board will try to hold the hearing at the main centre closest to where the worker
you have complained about lives. Hearings are usually held in public and you may attend.
The Board may ask you to attend the hearing as a witness. If they do, they will pay your
expenses. The Board has the power to have a summons issued requiring you to attend.
Hearings are a formal procedure. Witnesses are sworn in before they give evidence. The
Board and the worker you complained about can call witnesses, and each party is able to
cross-examine. This means that if you appear as a witness, it is likely you will be
questioned by the worker you complained about (or their representative).
If the Board finds the worker you complained about not guilty of a disciplinary
offence, the matter ends there.
If the Board finds the worker guilty of a disciplinary offence, it will (usually)
impose discipline which can include:
- removal of registration
- suspension of registration
- removal of the right to do electrical work
- the requirement to undergo training or sit examinations
- censure, or
- fines (but only on registered workers).
How Long Will the Complaints Process Take?
The full complaints process takes about 32 weeks, with the majority of complaints being
resolved within 26 to 40 weeks. However, some complaints are quite complex and can take
considerably longer to resolve.
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