Residential Electrician Melbourne South East

ESV-licensed electricians based in Cheltenham, serving Melbourne South East since 2006. We handle everything from a new powerpoint to a full switchboard upgrade, and Helcro Electrical is also a Clean Energy Council member and a VEU Accredited Provider (A003039), so we can future-proof your home in the same visit.

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Residential Electrical Services Cheltenham & Bayside

We send licensed electricians to every job. No subcontractors. The same team that quotes your job installs it.

Services we carry out:

General electrical, powerpoints, circuits, fault finding, repairs
Full and partial rewires, older homes and renovation work
LED downlight installation, including switchover from halogen
Outdoor and feature lighting, garden, security, entertaining areas
Electrical supplies to garages and outbuildings
Spa and swimming pool pump circuits
Electric underfloor heating
Heating controls and thermostat wiring
Smoke, fire, heat and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors
Ceiling fans, supply and installation
Appliance connections, ovens, cooktops, dishwashers
Urgent faults, call 1300 201 358 and we will confirm availability directly
Air conditioning installation, split systems, multi-split and ducted; VEU rebate eligible
Solar panels and inverters; home systems from 5 kW to 30 kW
Battery storage, SiGENERGY SigenStor (5kWh–48kWh), Tesla Powerwall, Sonnen, Enphase, Sungrow
Solar-ready rough-in, conduit and wiring for future solar installations
New builds and renovations, full electrical scope from rough-in to final fit-out

Where the work requires one, you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety under the Energy Safe Victoria framework. This is a legal document confirming the work complies with AS/NZS 3000:2018, the current wiring standard for Australia. We issue it automatically. Not every electrician will tell you to ask for it.

Switchboard Upgrades

Many older homes in Melbourne's South East still run on original ceramic fuse boards or early safety switch panels. These are not just outdated, they can be a safety risk and may need an upgrade before you add solar, an EV charger, or air conditioning.

A switchboard upgrade installs modern circuit breakers and RCDs that comply with current Victorian regulations. We check your existing board during the $50 site assessment, at no extra charge.

When did safety switches become compulsory? RCD (safety switch) protection of power point circuits has been required for new domestic wiring in Victoria since the early 1990s, and was extended to both power and lighting circuits from 2001. Neither change reached an existing installation that was left alone: they applied to new homes, and to existing homes only where significant electrical work was undertaken. So a house wired before those dates may still have no RCD protection unless it has been upgraded. The 2018 edition of the Wiring Rules went further again, to all domestic final sub-circuits.

What it costs: a home switchboard upgrade is typically $1,250 to $2,500 including GST, with a small board at the lower end. Your written quote confirms the price before we start.

Common reasons we upgrade switchboards in Cheltenham, Brighton, Bentleigh East, and surrounds:

Preparing for solar panel installation
Adding an EV charger to the garage
Home renovations or extensions requiring new circuits
Old fuse wire or ceramic fuses still in the board

We use quality switchboard components from Hager, Schneider, Clipsal, and Sprecher. You'll have a new board, updated circuits, and a Certificate of Electrical Safety for the electrical work.

Questions about your switchboard? Call 1300 201 358.

Safety Inspections and Rental Compliance

Victorian rental providers must have an electrical safety check carried out by a licensed or registered electrician every two years under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, and since 13 October 2026 that applies to every rental agreement. We provide documented inspections for residential rental properties across Melbourne's South East. The check is $300 including GST, with a certificate of electrical compliance if everything is okay. If there's something extra to be done, we tell you before starting anything, and the $300 for the check stays the same.

Our safety inspection covers:

Visual inspection of the switchboard and wiring
Testing of all RCDs (safety switches)
Smoke alarm compliance check
Check carried out to AS/NZS 3019:2022 Section 4, with a written record for your file

What the rental minimum standard needs depends on the switchboard. Where the board already uses circuit breakers, the power point and lighting circuits are the ones that need safety switches; fixed cooking, hot water and air conditioning circuits do not. An older fuse board often cannot take circuit breaker components, and if the whole switchboard has to be replaced, every circuit on it needs circuit breaker protection. We read the board before quoting a rental compliance job.

The dates rental providers need to know:

Since 29 March 2023: every power outlet and lighting circuit in a rental must connect to a switchboard-type circuit breaker and a switchboard-type RCD. This doesn't apply if the rental agreement became a periodic (month-to-month) agreement before 29 March 2021.
Since 13 October 2026: the two-yearly gas and electrical safety check applies to every Victorian rental agreement, whatever its start date.
From 1 March 2027: a hot water system that fails and cannot be repaired must be replaced with a heat pump or electric-boosted solar water heater, and failed fixed heating with efficient fixed electric heating; a new agreement or a switch to month-to-month also needs efficient fixed cooling in the main living area.
From 1 July 2030: rentals need that fixed cooling whenever the agreement started, unless an exemption applies.

The rental provider (landlord) must arrange the checks. We do the electrical half; a licensed or registered gasfitter does the gas check, only where there is gas.

The written inspection report and any required compliance documentation come with every job. Landlords managing multiple properties can arrange a regular servicing schedule, call us to discuss.

Manage multiple properties? Call 1300 201 358.

New Builds and Renovations

We work directly with builders and owner-builders in Melbourne's South East from rough-in through to final fit-out.

What we handle on new builds and major renovations:

Full electrical rough-in, circuits, cabling, conduit
Switchboard installation and sub-boards
EV charger conduit run from day one (a fraction of the cost vs retrofitting later)
Solar-ready wiring, roof penetrations, isolators, inverter location
Lighting design and installation

Running EV conduit during a renovation costs a fraction of what a retrofit costs post-build. We advise on this during the quote, no obligation.

Making Your Home Solar and EV Ready

Every Helcro Electrical electrician is a licensed general electrician. We are a NETCC Approved Seller for solar and batteries.

If you're considering solar, a battery, or an EV charger, now or in the next few years, the electrical work we do today can prepare for it:

Switchboard assessment included with every solar quote
EV charger conduit installed during a renovation or extension at minimal additional cost
Solar-ready rough-in on new builds means no rework when you're ready for panels
The Victorian Energy Upgrades rebate applies to qualifying installs, we handle all the paperwork as VEU Accredited Provider A003039

Residential electrical and home energy upgrades are the same job with us. One licensed team, one site visit.

Learn about solar panel installation →
EV charger installation in Melbourne South East →

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

Rhys managed to fit me into his schedule very quickly, doing a great job. Exactly what I wanted. Very professional and friendly, will definitely be recommending Helcro in future.

Marianne P, Cheltenham

…I had 3 pendant lights installed over the kitchen island (removing an existing one) so the job was considered small, but we got the most professional and friendly service…

Jessie Cao

Helcro have been my go-to electricians for years. They’ve done inverter replacements, house wiring and induction cooker installs. Their work ethic is great, always on time and never leaves a mess. So rare in the electrician world.

Peter Smee

Why Melbourne South East homeowners choose Helcro Electrical

Most homeowners just want a licensed electrician who shows up on time, does the job cleanly, and doesn't charge surprises on the day. That's the baseline. Here's what you get on top of it.

Your home, future-proofed. We don't just install what you ask for. We look at what's coming (solar, an EV charger, extra circuits for a renovation) and make sure the work we do today doesn't need redoing in two years. One conversation, one quote.

You get paperwork, not promises. Electrical work that requires one comes with a Certificate of Electrical Safety issued under Energy Safe Victoria. This is a legal document, not a courtesy. It records the work done and confirms it complies with AS/NZS 3000:2018. Keep it with your property records.

Same electricians, start to finish. The person who quotes your job is on the tools when we arrive. No handoffs to subcontractors, no surprises about who turns up.

Written quotes. We price the job before we start. Testing and certification are included. No hidden charges added on completion.

Service calls: $165 including GST. When something needs checking or is not working, $165 covers the first 30 minutes of one electrician on site. If it is fixed in that time, that is the total. If it needs more work, we tell you before anything further starts.

Rebates handled end-to-end. If your job qualifies for a Victorian Energy Upgrades rebate, such as a heat pump hot water system or a reverse cycle air conditioner, we apply it directly to your invoice as a VEU Accredited Provider (A003039). You don't chase paperwork.

Based in Cheltenham, in business since 2006. We know the housing stock across Bayside, Kingston and Glen Eira, from older single-phase boards to the new builds coming through Highett and Moorabbin. That local knowledge speeds up quoting and reduces surprises on the day.

Commercial electrical work also available →

Electrical work questions

Do I need a licensed electrician for home electrical work in Victoria?

Yes. Under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 (Vic), all electrical installation work must be carried out by a licensed electrician. Unlicensed electrical work is illegal, can affect home insurance claims, and can result in rejection of a building permit. Our electricians are ESV-licensed and issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety wherever the work requires one.

What is a Certificate of Electrical Safety?

A Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) is a legal document issued to the homeowner confirming that electrical work complies with AS/NZS 3000:2018 and current Victorian regulations. Energy Safe Victoria requires this for all domestic electrical installation work. Keep it with your property records.

How do I know if my switchboard needs upgrading?

The clearest signs are ceramic fuses with fuse wire instead of circuit breakers, or no RCDs (safety switches). Circuit breakers tripping and fuses blowing are a different matter: the CFA lists them as signs of an overloaded circuit. A planned solar or EV charger installation is a reason to check the board, not proof you need a new one. We check your switchboard during the $50 site assessment, at no extra charge.

I'm a landlord, do I need a regular electrical safety inspection?

Yes. Under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, Victorian rental providers must arrange an electrical safety check every two years, and since 13 October 2026 that applies to every rental agreement, whatever its start date. If no check has been done in the last two years when a new renter moves in, one must be arranged as soon as possible. We carry out these inspections across Bayside and do the check to AS/NZS 3019:2022 Section 4, with a written record for your property records.

Can you make my home ready for solar panels or an EV charger?

Yes, and this is where Helcro Electrical differs from a general electrician. We are a Clean Energy Council member and a VEU Accredited Provider. We can assess solar and EV readiness during a residential callout and carry out prep work in the same visit or a scheduled return.

How long does a switchboard upgrade take?

It depends on the size of the board and what needs replacing. We confirm the timing, including how long the power will be off, when we quote. We test all circuits and RCDs and issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety wherever the work requires one.

Get a Quote, Melbourne South East

Licensed electricians based in Cheltenham, serving 20+ suburbs across Bayside and Melbourne’s South East. Certificate of Electrical Safety wherever the work requires one.

No obligation. We respond within 2 business hours.

We service: Cheltenham · Brighton · Brighton East · McKinnon · Sandringham · Hampton · Highett · Moorabbin · Mentone · Bentleigh · Beaumaris · Black Rock · Mordialloc · Parkdale · Chelsea · Heatherton · and surrounding suburbs.