Victoria Registered Electrical Contractor: $5 Million Public Liability Insurance Rule

Energy Safe Victoria’s Registered Electrical Contractors (REC) guidance, updated 20 August 2026, says a Victorian REC must hold current public liability insurance with minimum cover of $5,000,000 whenever it carries out—or offers to carry out—electrical contracting work (figures checked 1 October 2026). The cover must be in the name of the electrical contractor as registered with Energy Safe, evidence must be provided whenever requested, and carrying out or offering to carry out that work without the required insurance is a criminal offence.

What does the Victorian REC insurance rule require?

The requirement covers both performing the work and offering to perform it. It is therefore not limited to a job that has already started.

When must the insurance be in place?

Applicants must make an insurance declaration acknowledging that the appropriate insurance requirements are understood and will be met before electrical contracting work begins. Energy Safe Victoria also advises applicants to ensure that the entity they intend to register as the electrical contractor is correctly insured with its insurance provider.

For an existing REC, the important points are simple:

• The policy must remain current.
• Its minimum cover must be $5,000,000.
• It must respond to personal injury or property damage connected with electrical contracting work.
• The required cover must be in place whenever the contractor carries out or offers to carry out that work.

The insurance declaration does not replace the continuing obligation to hold the required policy.

Whose name must appear on the insurance?

The insurance cover must be in the name of the electrical contractor as registered with Energy Safe. If the business trades under a business name or its legal structure differs from the details used by a particular insurer, check the registration information and policy together rather than assuming that a trading name alone satisfies the requirement.

Energy Safe Victoria requires changes to registration information—including a business or company name and changes to the business structure—to be reported within 10 business days of the relevant event. These changes can be managed through ESVConnect. Whenever those identifying details change, check that the insurance arrangement still aligns with the registered contractor.

What evidence must an REC provide?

Energy Safe Victoria says a registered electrical contractor must provide evidence showing that it holds the required insurance whenever the regulator requests it.

An REC should therefore:

• Keep current evidence of its insurance easy to retrieve.
• Check that the policy details match its Energy Safe registration.
• Confirm the minimum cover and relevant work connection before offering electrical contracting work.
• Follow Energy Safe Victoria’s instructions about the requested evidence and how it should be supplied.
• Ask the insurer and Energy Safe Victoria for clarification if the document format or delivery method is unclear.

The declaration made during the application process is separate from the continuing obligation to provide evidence on request.

What happens if the required insurance is not in place?

Energy Safe Victoria’s warning is explicit: carrying out or offering to carry out electrical contracting work without the required insurance is a criminal offence. The wording covers an offer as well as the performance of work.

Energy Safe Victoria states the following penalties:

The insurance position should therefore be checked before offering work, not merely before work begins on site.

How can an REC check that it complies?

Use this practical check:

• Compare the contractor name shown on the Energy Safe registration with the name on the insurance.
• Confirm that the public liability policy is current.
• Check that the minimum cover is $5,000,000.
• Check the connection to personal injury or property damage arising from electrical contracting work.
• Keep evidence of the cover available if Energy Safe Victoria requests it.
• Read the policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) rather than relying only on a premium quote or brief description.
• Review the insurance whenever the registered business name or legal structure changes.

This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Check Energy Safe Victoria’s current REC page and your policy’s PDS, and ask the regulator or insurer if the registered name, scope or evidence requirements are unclear.

Sources

• Energy Safe Victoria — Registered Electrical Contractors (REC) — page updated 20 August 2026; figures checked 1 October 2026.

FAQ

Does the insurance have to be in place before work starts?

Yes. Energy Safe Victoria requires the appropriate insurance to be in place before electrical contracting work begins. The continuing requirement also applies whenever the contractor offers to carry out electrical contracting work.

Does a business trading name satisfy the registered-name requirement?

The insurance must be in the name of the electrical contractor as registered with Energy Safe. If the trading name, legal entity or policy wording differs from the registration details, confirm the position with Energy Safe Victoria and the insurer before relying on the cover.

What evidence of insurance does Energy Safe Victoria request?

The REC must provide evidence showing that it holds the required insurance whenever Energy Safe Victoria requests it. The published requirement does not name one fixed evidence document in that rule, so confirm the acceptable document and delivery method if needed.

Is working without insurance only a registration problem?

No. Energy Safe Victoria states that carrying out or offering to carry out electrical contracting work without the required insurance is a criminal offence, not merely a registration defect.