Electrical Appliances and Fittings
All electrical appliances in New Zealand must comply with basic safety requirements, in accordance with the Electricity Regulations 1997. The appliance industry has a responsibility to provide safe products and the New Zealand public has a right to expect appliances they buy to be safe.
Energy Safety, on behalf of the Government, has recently consulted on and reviewed the regulatory process around electrical appliance safety and supply in New Zealand.
The result of this review and consultation process is an updated Electrical Appliance Safety Regime designed to deal with New Zealand's trade agreements while ensuring safety in the marketplace. The regime is being implemented and enforced by Energy Safety.
Changes to the regime have been designed to deliver safe appliances to the public by:
- Providing a regulatory requirement for appliances to be safe, backed up by legal penalties for non-compliance.
- Providing recognised methods by which suppliers can determine the safety of appliances they import (including recognised Standards and recognised testing facilities).
- Providing recognition of certification and testing regimes operated by New Zealand's trading partners, particularly Australia, Singapore and the European Union, and allowing recognition of other systems such as those operated by Taiwan, Hong Kong and APEC economies.
- Requiring appliances that have been assessed as having a higher potential for safety deficiencies to be covered by either a supplier declaration or approval requirement prior to sale.
General Essential Safety - Electrical Product Safety Obligations
All Electrical and Electronic Products sold in NZ are required to be safe.
Products Requiring a Supplier Declaration of Compliance (SDoC)
Products considered to offer a medium (and high) safety risk are required to be covered by a Supplier Declaration of Compliance (SDoC) completed by the supplier of the product in New Zealand prior to sale.
Products Requiring Approval
Products considered to offer a high safety risk are required to be approved, or covered by a recognised certification, (in addition to being required to be covered by an SDoC) prior to being offered for sale.
Compliance
Information relating to the Electrical and Electronic product safety compliance requirements for SDoC and Declared Articles.
Products Standards
Safety Standards which when complied with are deemed to be safe.
Alternative Standards
When products cannot comply with the applicable Standards due to innovation or the introduction of alternative materials, such products may be certified as complying with AS/NZS 3820.
Recognised Testing Laboratories
For Test Reports to be recognised for compliance with NZ's Electrical Safety Standards, the Test Reports must have been produced by an accredited testing laboratory.
Regulatory Compliance Mark - (RCM)
The Regulatory Compliance Mark or RCM indicates an appliance complies with the relevant safety Standard.
Prohibited Products
The Electricity Regulations contain provision for the prohibition of the use and sale of identified products.
Guide to the supply of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
This guide is intended to provide guidance to suppliers (including importers, distributors and retailers) on the Principal Regulatory Requirements applying to the importation and sale of Compact Fluorescent Lamps
New Zealand's Electrical and Electronical Product Mutual Recognition Agreements
New Zealand has a number of active MRAs with it's trading partners that allow testing, certification and/or approvals to meet New Zealand's "Mandatory Requirements" to be carried in the trading partner's territories.
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