A Level 2 electrician is an accredited service provider (ASP) authorised to work on the connection between the electricity network and your property, such as your service mains, metering, and switchboard connection. A Level 1 electrician works one step further out, building and connecting the high-voltage network itself. A standard licensed electrician handles everything inside your property, from power points to lighting, but cannot legally touch the network connection. Knowing which one you need saves you a wasted call-out and, often, a lot of money.
If you have been handed a quote, a defect notice, or advice that mentions "Level 2" or "ASP" and you are not sure what it means, this guide sorts it out in plain terms.
What "ASP" actually means
ASP stands for Accredited Service Provider. In New South Wales, the electricity network in most of Sydney is owned by Ausgrid. Ausgrid does not send its own crews to connect individual homes and businesses. Instead, it accredits private electricians to do that work to its standards. Those accredited electricians are graded by level, based on what part of the network they are trained and authorised to work on.
There are three tiers you are likely to hear about:
- Standard licensed electrician: works on the electrical installation inside your property boundary.
- Level 2 ASP: works on the service connection between the network and your property.
- Level 1 ASP: works on the network itself, the higher-voltage mains and substations.
The dividing line that matters most is the point of attachment. That is where the network stops being Ausgrid's responsibility and becomes yours.
The three tiers, side by side
| Type | What they work on | Typical jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Standard electrician | Everything inside your property boundary | Power points, lighting, ceiling fans, adding circuits, fault finding, general repairs |
| Level 2 ASP | The service connection to an existing property | Connecting or disconnecting power, overhead and underground service mains, private poles, metering, switchboard connections, defect rectification, service fuse replacement |
| Level 1 ASP | The high-voltage network side | New estate mains, substations, network extensions and upgrades feeding new developments |
What a Level 2 electrician does
A Level 2 ASP handles the connection between the Ausgrid network and your switchboard. This is the tier most homes and businesses actually deal with. Common Level 2 jobs include:
- Connecting or disconnecting power to a property, including temporary builders supply on a construction site.
- Installing or repairing overhead service lines, or converting overhead to underground.
- Installing and replacing private power poles and the point of attachment.
- Upgrading the consumer mains, the cable that runs from the connection point to your switchboard.
- Metering work and moving or upgrading your meter.
- Replacing a failed service fuse when part or all of your property loses power.
- Fixing an Ausgrid defect notice so your property passes and stays connected.
If a job involves the wires coming into your building, the meter, or the main switch feeding the whole property, it is almost always Level 2 work.
What a Level 1 electrician does
A Level 1 ASP works on the network side, at higher voltages, building the infrastructure that Level 2 connections plug into. Think new housing estates, large commercial developments, and network extensions where fresh mains and substations need to be installed and energised. A single new home almost never needs a Level 1 ASP directly. A property developer connecting a whole new street does.
What a standard electrician does
A licensed electrician looks after the electrical installation inside your property: the power points, light fittings, hard-wired appliances, subcircuits, and fault finding within your walls. If your circuit breaker keeps tripping or you want extra power points, that is standard work. The moment the job crosses out to the meter or the service connection, you need a Level 2 ASP.
Not sure which one your job needs?
DM Electrical is accredited for both Level 1 and Level 2 ASP work and based in Brookvale, so one team can cover the whole job from the network connection to your switchboard. Tell us what is happening and we will tell you exactly what is involved. Available 24/7 across the Northern Beaches and wider Sydney.
Which one do I need? A quick guide by job
- New power points, lighting, ceiling fans, fault finding: standard licensed electrician.
- Power connected or disconnected, meter work, service mains, private pole, switchboard connection: Level 2 ASP.
- Switchboard upgrade or consumer mains replacement: Level 2 ASP, because the consumer mains are part of the service connection. See our switchboard upgrade page.
- An Ausgrid defect notice: Level 2 ASP.
- Half your house has no power after a storm: likely a failed service fuse, which is Level 2 emergency work. Call a 24/7 emergency electrician who is Level 2 accredited.
- Connecting a whole new estate or development to the grid: Level 1 ASP.
The safe rule: if the job touches where the power enters your property, ask whether the electrician is Level 2 accredited before they start. Only an ASP can legally do that work, and Ausgrid will not recognise it otherwise.
Why the accreditation matters to you
This is not just paperwork. Work on the service connection carries real risk, and it has to be signed off to Ausgrid's standards to keep your property connected and your insurance valid. If an unaccredited electrician does Level 2 work, the connection can be rejected, you can be issued a defect, and in the worst case the property can be disconnected until it is fixed properly. Choosing an accredited ASP the first time avoids all of that.
The bottom line
Most people only ever need two of these three. A standard electrician for everything inside the home, and a Level 2 ASP for anything to do with the connection, the meter, or the main switchboard. Level 1 is for developers building new network. DM Electrical holds both Level 1 and Level 2 accreditation, so whichever side of the point of attachment your job sits on, one accredited team can handle it. If you are still unsure, get in touch and we will point you the right way.