How Are Group Homes and Supported Accommodation Developments Connected for Power in Sydney?

How are group homes and supported accommodation developments connected for power in Sydney? These developments are treated as a multiple installation under the Service and Installation Rules of NSW, which means one shared three phase mains connection is sized to the combined maximum demand of every resident's room, then split internally through a main board with individual sub meters for each tenancy. Because most of these developments run several instantaneous hot water systems at once, rather than one centralised system, the maximum demand calculation and the distributor's approval process usually take longer than a standard single dwelling connection, so it pays to start the electrical scope early in the build program.

⚡ Quick Answers: Group Home and Supported Accommodation Power Connections

• Does every resident's room need its own electricity meter? Usually yes, each tenancy is separately sub metered off one shared main connection so residents can be billed individually.
• Why do these developments so often need three phase power? Running several instantaneous hot water systems, plus general lighting and power across many rooms, typically exceeds what a single phase supply can safely carry.
• What is a maximum demand assessment and why does it matter here? It is the distributor's calculation of how much load your development will actually draw, and it determines whether the existing street infrastructure can support the connection or whether upgrades are needed first.
• Who applies for the connection, the builder or the electrician? A Level 2 ASP lodges the application and manages the connection process on the customer's behalf, working from the architectural and electrical scope supplied by the builder.
• Can temporary power be used while the permanent connection is being finalised? Yes, a temporary builders supply is standard practice on these projects while the permanent three phase connection works through the distributor's approval process.

1. Why these developments count as a multiple installation

The Service and Installation Rules of NSW treat any property with more than one separately metered part as a multiple installation, with duplex units given as the clearest everyday example. A group home or supported accommodation development with individually sub metered rooms falls into exactly this category, even though it is a single building on a single title rather than separate dwellings. That classification shapes almost everything else about how the connection is designed, from how many sub meters the main board needs to provision for, to how the overall maximum demand is calculated across every tenancy combined.

2. Why instantaneous hot water systems change the maximum demand calculation

Many supported accommodation developments choose individual instantaneous electric hot water systems for each room rather than one shared gas or electric storage system, since it gives each resident independent hot water without a shared system running out during busy periods. The tradeoff is electrical. An instantaneous system draws a large amount of current for as long as hot water is running, and when a development has ten or more of these systems, even accounting for the fact that not every resident will be showering at exactly the same moment, the combined potential demand is substantial. This is precisely the kind of calculation covered in AS/NZS 3000's maximum demand provisions, and it is also why the distributor typically wants to review the figures itself before confirming what size connection the site can actually be given.

3. The distributor's maximum demand assessment

Before Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy will confirm a three phase connection for a development like this, they generally need to assess whether the existing local network infrastructure can support the calculated maximum demand, particularly once multiple instantaneous hot water systems are involved. This assessment sits alongside the standard three phase connection application, and can genuinely affect the project timeline if the local network needs augmentation to support the load. Confirming early which distributor territory the site falls in is worth doing at the very start of the design process, since Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy each run their own application and assessment timeframes. You can check your network area in seconds with our postcode checker before committing to a design based on assumptions about which distributor applies.

4. Sub metering and the main board layout

Once the connection size is confirmed, the main switchboard needs to be designed with provision for every tenancy's sub meter from the outset, since retrofitting additional sub meters into an undersized board later is far more disruptive than planning for the full count of rooms up front. Each sub meter typically feeds its own isolator and circuits for that room's lighting, power and instantaneous hot water system, all coming off the one shared three phase main connection and main switchboard.

5. Applying for the three phase connection

A Level 2 ASP lodges the connection application on the customer's behalf, working from the architectural plans and the electrical scope the builder or design team has already prepared, including the number of instantaneous hot water systems, the sub meter count, and the main board's provisioning. This is very similar in structure to the application process for a duplex development's electrical connection, scaled up to account for a larger number of separately metered tenancies and a heavier combined hot water load.

6. Coordinating temporary power during construction

While the permanent three phase connection works through the distributor's application and any required maximum demand assessment, a temporary builders supply keeps the site running through the construction program. Timing this correctly, so the temporary supply is in place early and the transition to permanent power does not stall the build's final stages, is one of the more common coordination points builders underestimate on a multi tenancy project like this.

7. Why this is Level 2 ASP work

Everything from the mains connection application through to energising the site sits within Level 2 ASP scope, since it involves work up to and including the point of supply from the network. A standard licensed electrician can carry out the internal wiring, sub board installation and hot water system circuits, but the network connection itself, the maximum demand liaison with the distributor, and the final energisation all need to go through an accredited Level 2 provider.

How High Demand Electrical helps

High Demand Electrical is one of Sydney's most trusted Level 2 ASPs for exactly this kind of multi tenancy connection work, and we regularly coordinate directly with builders and other electrical contractors on group home, boarding house and supported accommodation projects across Sydney. We manage the three phase connection application, work through the distributor's maximum demand assessment where multiple instantaneous hot water systems are involved, and provision the main switchboard for the full sub meter count from day one rather than leaving room additions to be squeezed in later. If your project involves coordinating power for a multi resident development anywhere across Sydney, our licensed team can scope the connection alongside your existing electrical contractor or in house team.

Group Home and Supported Accommodation Power FAQs (Sydney)

How long does this kind of connection typically take?

It varies with the distributor's maximum demand assessment and whether any local network augmentation is needed, which is why starting the application early in the build program matters. A site specific assessment is the only way to get a genuine timeframe.

Can an existing group home have its metering upgraded later if more rooms are added?

Yes, this is treated as a metering alteration to the existing multiple installation, though it works best when the original main board was provisioned with some spare capacity for exactly this scenario. See our smart meter upgrades page for the metering side of this work.

Does every instantaneous hot water system need its own circuit?

Yes, each instantaneous system needs a dedicated circuit sized for its full load, which is part of why the combined maximum demand across a development with many rooms adds up quickly.

Who coordinates the electrical scope with the builder's other trades?

Our team works directly with the builder, the plumber on the hot water systems, and any other electrical contractors already engaged on the project, similar to how we coordinate on multi connection duplex and dual occupancy builds.

What if the site is on Endeavour Energy's network instead of Ausgrid's?

The core process is similar but the specific application forms and assessment timeframes differ. Check your network area in seconds with our postcode checker before finalising your electrical design assumptions.

Get Your Development's Power Connection Scoped

Planning a group home, boarding house or supported accommodation development in Sydney? Get a Level 2 connection quote and have your maximum demand and sub metering scope reviewed before you lodge your development application. Call 0402 559 777 to talk to the team. Every project needs a site assessment and a review of your plans before scope and pricing can be confirmed.