Key information

Final regulations

The NSW Government has approved changes to the Electricity Supply (General) Regulation and the Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation. 

The regulations are statutory instruments made under the Electricity Supply Act 1995 (ES Act). The ES Act regulates electricity supply, network operations and the responsibilities of electricity providers.

The final regulations are available on the NSW Legislation website:

The Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2026 commenced on 21 August, with the exception of the amended notification requirement for disconnecting unsafe electrical installations (section 38(3)). Section 38(3) will commence on 1 July 2027 to provide network operators with time to prepare for the changes.

The NSW Electricity Supply (General) Regulation 2026 commenced on 1 September 2026.

Response to submissions

Thank you to those that provided feedback through the public consultation processes. The below ‘Response to Submissions’ documents outline what we have heard from stakeholders and how we have changed the Regulations in response to feedback received. 

The responses are available here:

Public consultation

We sought feedback on proposed amendments to both regulations, including:

ES (General) Regulation

Following consultation, some minor refinements were made to the ES (General) Regulation and proposed amendments. Notably, the proposed amendment to the consultation requirements for the Social Programs for Energy Codes has not been adopted, and the 2026 regulation retains the same consultation requirement as the 2014 regulation. The other proposed amendments set out above have been adopted.

ES (Safety) Regulation 

  • introducing a list of contestable network services that can be performed by Accredited Service Providers (ASPs)
  • clarifying the roles and responsibilities of auditors when they are being appointed to audit a network operator's Safety Management System
  • changes to notice requirements when a) carrying out excavation work and b) distributors refuse to connect or disconnect unsafe electrical installations, and
  • whether there are any additional reforms to the ES (Safety) Regulation that should be completed prior to the completion of the related Electrical and Gas Safety Review (Safety Review).

We have proceeded with the amendments to the ES (Safety) Regulation, except for the list of contestable network services. The department will reconsider this reform and any additional reforms that were within scope of the Safety Review, after the delivery of the Safety Review’s final report, which is expected to be published in October 2026.

See the 'Response to submissions' documents for more information about the changes to both regulations.

Public submissions 

Next steps

The NSW Electricity Supply (General) Regulation 2026 commenced on 1 September 2026.

The Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2026 commenced on 21 August, with the exception of the amended notification requirement for disconnecting unsafe electrical installations (section 38(3)). Section 38(3) will commence on 1 July 2027 to provide network operators with time to prepare for the changes.

Further reforms to the Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation will be considered by the department after the delivery of the final Safety Review report, which is expected to be published in October 2026. 

Consultation period

6 May – 27 May 2026

Related documents

ES (General) Regulation

ES (Safety) Regulation 

Contact us

If you have any queries about the regulations or consultation papers, email us at: [email protected]