Power points and dedicated circuits

Adding a power point is usually a short job for a licensed electrician: run a cable from an existing circuit or the switchboard, fit the outlet, test it and issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety. One published Melbourne cost guide lists a new power point at $160 to $315 per point, while a heavy appliance such as a split system or induction cooktop normally needs its own circuit from the switchboard, which costs more and depends on the board having room.

When one more outlet is the wrong answer

Power boards and double adaptors pile up where a room was wired for less than it now carries: a home office with two screens and a printer, a garage with a freezer and a charger, a kitchen bench with an air fryer and a coffee machine. A fixed outlet in the right place is safer than another board on the floor.

A new outlet on an existing circuit is not always enough, though. Ask about a dedicated circuit when:

• the appliance manual specifies one, as most induction cooktops, ovens and split systems do
• the same circuit already trips when the kettle and heater run together
• you want to charge an electric car from a wall socket; Energy Victoria’s EV charging guide passes on the Electric Vehicle Council’s advice to install a dedicated circuit, and notes that a 15 amp outlet instead of a standard 10 amp one increases the charging rate by 50%
• the outlet is outdoors for a pool pump, spa or workshop

Options compared

Job	Melbourne range
New double power point	$160 to $315 per point
USB power point swap	$115 to $295 per point
Outdoor weatherproof outlet	Quoted per job
Dedicated appliance circuit	Hourly, at $84 to $160 per hour plus parts

What each job involves:

• New double power point. Cable from a nearby circuit, wall box, outlet and test. Typical in bedrooms, home offices and garages.
• USB power point swap. Existing outlet replaced with a USB-equipped one on the same wiring. Typical at the bedside, kitchen bench or study.
• Outdoor weatherproof outlet. Weatherproof fitting and cable route through the wall or along the eaves. Typical for alfresco areas, sheds and water features.
• Dedicated appliance circuit. New cable from the switchboard, its own breaker and RCD protection. Typical for split systems, cooktops, ovens and EV outlets.

The figures are from the What’s The Damage? Melbourne electrician cost guide, checked October 2026 and including GST. Most electricians also charge a call-out or service fee of $52 to $160 per visit in business hours. Grouping several points into one visit is usually cheaper per outlet than booking them one at a time. The full breakdown sits in the electrical cost guide for Carrum Downs.

What the provider will need to know

• Where each outlet goes, marked on a photo or a rough floor plan, and whether the wall is plasterboard, brick or a wet area.
• What will plug in. A bar fridge and a 2.4 kW heater on the same circuit are different loads.
• Access. Single-storey houses with a roof space make cable runs simple. Double-storey homes, flat roofs and slab floors may need surface conduit or a longer route.
• The switchboard. A dedicated circuit needs a spare way on the board. If it is full, or still has ceramic fuses, read the switchboard upgrade guide first, because the board may need to change before the circuit can be added.

What the work involves

For a standard outlet the electrician isolates the circuit, chases or drops the cable to the new position, fits the wall box and outlet, restores power and tests polarity, earth continuity and the RCD trip. A dedicated circuit adds a cable run back to the switchboard and a new protective device.

Split systems involve two trades. The electrician supplies the circuit and isolator; the person connecting the refrigerant pipework needs a Refrigerant Handling Licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council, as its split system licence fact sheet sets out. Some businesses hold both licences, others subcontract one side, so ask who is doing which part.

Certificates and rules

Power points, lights, air conditioning and hot water circuits are non-prescribed work in Victoria. Energy Safe Victoria’s guide to Certificates of Electrical Safety says no separate inspection is required for non-prescribed work, the work is energised on completion, and the contractor must give you the certificate within 30 days. The electrician may pass on the certificate purchase cost plus a handling fee they should explain.

All of it is done to AS/NZS 3000. Doing your own wiring is illegal in Victoria, and Energy Safe Victoria warns it can be deadly; that includes moving an outlet a few centimetres or swapping a faceplate for a USB model.

What a careful provider will not do

• Tap a new outlet into a circuit that is already overloaded just because it is the closest cable.
• Leave a new circuit without RCD protection.
• Install an outdoor outlet without a weatherproof rating suited to its position.
• Skip the certificate on a small job; even a single power point needs one.

Local notes for Carrum Downs and nearby suburbs

Carrum Downs is largely low-scale housing with generous garden frontages, built from the 1980s onward, so outdoor entertaining areas, garages and sheds are common places for new outlets. Where a newer estate home in Skye is double-storey, upstairs runs take more planning. In beachside Seaford, older houses from the 1950s and 1960s may have wiring that should be checked before more load is added. Our Carrum Downs page has more on the local housing, and anyone planning a car charger should read the EV charger installation guide alongside this one.

What to do next

List the rooms and appliances, take a photo of the switchboard and request a quote for power points or a new circuit. Your details go to an independent licensed electrician, who confirms the scope and quotes it directly; nobody at this website does electrical work.

Send a job enquiry