Split Systems, EV Chargers and Pool Pumps: When a Load Increase Triggers a Notification of Service Work (NOSW)

Does adding a split system, EV charger or pool pump mean your electrician has to notify the network? Sometimes, yes. If the new equipment pushes your home past the supply capacity your connection was approved for, Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy may need to approve the extra load before it is connected, and any service work that follows must be reported through a Notification of Service Work (NOSW). One small appliance rarely matters, but a few big ones added over a couple of years often does.

⚡ Quick Answers: load increases and NOSWs

• What is an NOSW? A formal notification a Level 2 electrician lodges with your distributor after completing service work, confirming what was done and how it tested.
• Does one new split system trigger it? Usually not. It becomes an issue when your total demand outgrows your service line, consumer mains or switchboard.
• Which appliances tip homes over? EV chargers, ducted air conditioning, pool heat pumps, electric hot water and induction cooking, especially in combination.
• Who lodges the NOSW? The accredited Level 2 ASP who does the service work, not you. It must reach the distributor within two working days of the job finishing.
• What if nobody tells the distributor? The Service and Installation Rules of NSW warn that failing to apply in writing can delay your connection, and an overloaded service is a real safety risk.

1. Your connection has an approved capacity, even if you have never seen it

Every property is connected on the basis of a supply capacity, the amount of load the network agreed to provide when the connection was made. Where the distributor has no record of an approved figure, the Service and Installation Rules of NSW deem it to be the highest 30 minute demand your meter has recorded over the past two years.

That matters because your service line, consumer mains and switchboard were all sized around that capacity. Add enough new load and you are asking cables and fuses to carry current they were never chosen for.

2. The appliances most likely to tip the scales

A single phase Sydney home typically runs comfortably until the big ticket items arrive. A 7kW EV charger draws around 32 amps on its own, ducted air conditioning can add another 20 to 30 amps on a hot afternoon, and a pool heat pump runs for hours at a time.

Stack two or three of those onto a service designed decades ago and the numbers stop working. This is exactly the point where many homeowners start looking at a single phase to three phase upgrade or a broader power supply upgrade.

3. When the distributor needs to hear about it

The rules ask customers to give notice of equipment that places significant load on the network, affects supply quality for neighbours, or exports power back to the grid. In practice, your electrician assesses the maximum demand, compares it with your existing capacity and applies to the distributor in writing where approval is needed. Not sure whether Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy covers your street? You can check your network area in seconds with our postcode checker.

The distributor can approve the extra load as is, or set conditions first, such as upgraded consumer mains or load control on certain appliances. Skipping this step does not make it go away. It usually resurfaces later as a delay, a defect notice or nuisance tripping.

4. Where the NOSW comes in

If the load increase leads to physical service work, such as a new or upgraded service, a disconnection and reconnection, or new service equipment, that work must be reported. Under clause 1.15 of the Service and Installation Rules of NSW, the ASP lodges a Notification of Service Work with the distributor within two working days of completing the job.

The NOSW records the customer details, the scope of the work, the test results and a plan of the service route. It is how the network keeps its records accurate, and it is one of the documents that protects you if questions are ever asked about the installation.

Why it's Level 2 ASP work

Anything between the street and your meter is network connected work, and only an accredited Level 2 ASP is allowed to touch it. Upgrading a service line, replacing consumer mains and reconnecting supply after an upgrade all sit in that category, and the NOSW itself is lodged by the accredited provider. A general electrician can install the split system, but they cannot upgrade the connection that feeds it.

How High Demand Electrical helps

We handle the whole chain in house. Our team runs the maximum demand assessment before you commit to a big appliance, tells you straight whether your existing connection can carry it, and manages the distributor application if approval is needed.

If the answer is an upgrade, we carry out the overhead or underground service work, arrange switchboard upgrades where required, and lodge the NOSW with Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy within the required timeframe. For a sense of what an upgrade involves, see our guide to what changes in a three phase upgrade.

Load increase and NOSW FAQs (Sydney)

Do I need to tell Ausgrid before installing an EV charger?

Not always, but your electrician should assess maximum demand first. If the charger pushes your home past its approved capacity, an application to the distributor comes before installation. See our Level 2 electrician services for how we manage this.

What happens if service work is done without an NOSW?

The distributor has no record of the work, which can surface as a defect notice or a delayed connection later. Accredited providers are audited on their notifications, so a reputable ASP will never skip it.

Is the NOSW the same as a CCEW?

No. The Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work covers the wiring inside your installation, while the NOSW covers service work on the network side. Bigger jobs often involve both documents.

How do I find out my home's supply capacity?

Ask a Level 2 electrician to assess it. Where there is no recorded figure, the rules fall back to your highest recorded demand over the past two years, which we can review along with your switchboard. Our guide to the SIRNSW balancing of load rule explains how demand is assessed.

Planning a bigger load? Talk to us first

Get ahead of the paperwork before the new appliance arrives. Get a power supply upgrade quote or call 0402 559 777. Every job starts with a site assessment so scope and pricing are confirmed before any work begins.