An Electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is a legal requirement in South Africa, not a nice-to-have – and getting caught without one at the wrong moment can cost far more than the certificate itself. Here’s what it actually covers.

What a CoC actually is

A CoC confirms that a property’s electrical installation meets the safety requirements of SANS 10142-1, South Africa’s wiring code. It’s issued by a registered electrical contractor after a full inspection – not a quick look, but a proper check of the DB board, earthing, wiring, and every circuit against the current standard.

When you legally need one

By law, a CoC must be issued whenever a property is sold (valid for up to two years old at the time of sale, or a new one if the installation has changed), whenever new electrical work is done – even a partial rewire or a DB board upgrade – and it’s often required by insurers before they’ll pay out on an electrical or fire-related claim. Landlords aren’t always legally required to hold one for the full duration of a lease, but many do so anyway to protect themselves and their tenants.

What happens during the inspection

We check the DB board and its labelling, earthing and bonding, socket outlets, switches, and visible wiring, and confirm items like earth leakage protection are correctly installed and working. If something fails, we quote on the repair separately – the CoC itself only gets issued once the installation actually passes.

What if you don’t have one?

Selling a property without a valid CoC can hold up or derail the transaction entirely, since it’s a standard requirement in the sale agreement. Without one, an insurer can also refuse to pay out on a claim connected to the electrical installation, even for an unrelated fire, if they can show the wiring wasn’t compliant.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a CoC valid for?

There’s no fixed expiry, but a CoC older than two years is typically not accepted for a property sale, and any new electrical work invalidates the previous certificate for the affected circuits.

How much does a CoC cost?

Cost depends on property size and condition – we provide a fixed quote after a brief assessment, before any work begins.

Do rental properties need a CoC?

It’s not a blanket legal requirement for every lease, but many landlords obtain one to protect themselves, and some insurers and letting agents require it as standard practice.

Need a CoC for a sale, rental, or after renovations? See our CoC inspection service or get a free quote.

UPS, inverter, and generator all solve the same problem – keeping power on during an outage – but they work differently and suit different needs. Here’s how to tell which one is right for you.

UPS: instant, short-term backup

A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) switches to battery power within milliseconds of an outage, with zero downtime. That makes it the right choice for equipment that can’t handle even a brief interruption – servers, networking equipment, security systems, medical devices. Battery capacity is usually modest, giving you minutes to a few hours of runtime rather than days.

Inverter: whole-circuit backup for longer outages

A home inverter system is a larger-scale version of the same idea, wired into your DB board to power selected circuits – lights, wifi, TV, fridge – for the duration of a load shedding slot or longer. Inverters are usually paired with a larger battery bank than a UPS, and can be combined with solar panels to recharge during the day.

Generator: unlimited runtime, but not instant

A generator can run for as long as you have fuel, making it the only real option for extended outages, but it isn’t instant – there’s a changeover delay, and it needs to be started, fuelled and maintained. Generators also need proper installation with a changeover switch to prevent back-feeding power into the grid, which is a safety requirement, not optional.

Which do you actually need?

For scheduled load shedding, most homes are well served by an inverter system sized to the circuits that matter. For businesses that can’t tolerate any interruption to specific equipment, a UPS on that equipment is the right layer, sometimes combined with a generator or inverter for the wider building. For areas with frequent, unpredictable, or extended outages beyond normal load shedding, a generator adds resilience a battery system can’t match on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Can I combine a UPS, inverter and generator?

Yes – many commercial sites use a UPS for critical equipment, backed by a generator for the building as a whole, giving instant protection plus unlimited runtime.

Do inverter and generator installations need a compliance certificate?

Yes, both need to be installed and certified by a registered electrical contractor, and a generator specifically needs a changeover switch installed correctly to prevent it feeding power back into the grid.

How long does a typical home inverter system last on battery?

It depends on battery capacity and what’s connected, but most systems sized for essential circuits (lights, wifi, fridge) run for several hours per load shedding stage.

Not sure which setup suits your home or business? See our UPS installation service or get a free quote.

Not every electrical problem is an emergency, but some genuinely can’t wait. Here’s how to tell the difference, what to do while you’re waiting for help, and when it’s safe to book a normal appointment instead.

Signs it’s a genuine electrical emergency

• Burning smell or visible smoke from a plug, switch, appliance or the DB board – switch off the circuit at the DB board if you can safely reach it, and call immediately.
• Sparking from an outlet, switch or the DB board itself.
• Exposed or damaged wiring, especially anywhere it could be touched or is near water.
• Complete loss of power that isn’t a scheduled load shedding slot or a confirmed area-wide Eskom outage.
• A breaker that trips repeatedly and won’t reset, particularly if it’s hot to the touch.
• Any electric shock, even a mild one, from touching an appliance, switch or tap.

What to do while you’re waiting

If it’s safe to reach, switch off the relevant circuit or the main breaker at the DB board. Don’t touch damaged wiring, a tripped breaker that’s warm, or any appliance that’s sparked or smoked. Keep pets and children away from the area. If there’s an actual fire, call the fire department first – electricians handle the electrical fault, not an active fire.

Why response time matters

Electrical faults rarely get better on their own – a breaker that trips once today is often the same breaker that fails to trip next time, which is how house fires start. Getting a fault diagnosed quickly, rather than resetting the breaker and hoping, is what actually prevents the situation from getting worse.

When it’s not an emergency

A single outlet that’s stopped working, a light fitting that needs replacing, or general load shedding are inconvenient but not dangerous, and can usually wait for a scheduled appointment rather than an emergency call-out – which also tends to cost less.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can you respond to an emergency call-out?

We prioritise emergency call-outs and are typically on site within the hour, seven days a week, across the areas we cover.

Is a tripped DB board always an emergency?

Not always – an occasional trip after a specific appliance is used is often a simple overload. A breaker that trips repeatedly with no clear cause, or feels warm, should be treated as urgent.

Should I try to fix a sparking outlet myself?

No – switch off the circuit at the DB board if you can do so safely, and don’t touch the outlet again until a licensed electrician has inspected it.

Facing an electrical emergency right now? See our emergency electrical service or call us directly.

Load shedding has made solar one of the most-searched electrical topics in Cape Town, and it’s easy to see why – a well-designed system can keep your home running through an outage and cut your monthly Eskom bill at the same time. Here’s what actually goes into a residential solar installation, what it costs, and what you need to know before you commit.

Grid-tied, off-grid, or hybrid?

Grid-tied systems feed excess power back into the municipal grid and are the cheapest option, but they typically switch off during load shedding unless paired with battery storage – a common misconception that catches homeowners out. Off-grid systems run entirely on solar and battery storage, disconnected from Eskom, and are rare for suburban homes given the cost. Hybrid systems – solar panels plus battery storage plus a grid connection – are what most Cape Town homeowners actually install, because they keep essential circuits running through an outage while still drawing from the grid when needed.

What’s involved in installation

A typical residential install includes a site assessment (roof orientation, shading, roof condition and structural load), panel and inverter sizing based on your actual usage, the physical installation of panels, inverter and battery, and wiring into your DB board – usually with a sub-board for the circuits you want protected during an outage (lights, wifi, fridge, and so on).

Do you need a compliance certificate for solar?

Yes. Any grid-tied solar installation in Cape Town needs an Electrical Certificate of Compliance for the installation itself, and grid-tied systems also need to be registered with the City of Cape Town under its small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) process. Skipping this step can cause problems later – when you sell the property, when you claim on insurance, or if the City identifies an unregistered system feeding back into the grid. We handle both the CoC and the registration paperwork as part of every grid-tied installation.

What affects the cost

System cost depends mainly on three things: how much of your usage you want covered (a few essential circuits versus the whole house), battery capacity (batteries are usually the single biggest cost item), and roof complexity (a simple, unshaded north-facing roof costs less to fit than a shaded or multi-angle roof). We provide a free, no-obligation quote based on your actual usage and roof, rather than a generic package price.

Choosing an installer

Look for a registered electrical contractor who issues a proper CoC, handles the SSEG registration for you, and is transparent about battery brand and warranty – battery quality varies significantly and is where cost-cutting shows up first.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a residential solar installation take?

Most straightforward residential installs take one to two days on site, though SSEG registration with the City can take several weeks to process.

Will solar work during load shedding without a battery?

No – a grid-tied system with no battery storage is required by regulation to shut down during a grid outage, including load shedding, for safety reasons. You need battery storage to keep power flowing during an outage.

Can I add battery storage to an existing solar system later?

In most cases yes, depending on your existing inverter’s compatibility. We can assess an existing system and quote on a battery retrofit.

Ready to talk through a solar installation for your home? See our solar installation service or get a free quote.

For businesses, unplanned electrical downtime costs more than the repair itself – lost trading hours, spoiled stock, unhappy customers. A maintenance contract shifts you from reactive to planned.

What a maintenance contract typically covers

Scheduled inspections of the DB board and key circuits, testing of earth leakage and safety systems, thermal imaging to catch overheating connections before they fail, and priority response if something does go wrong between scheduled visits.

Reactive vs planned maintenance cost

Emergency call-outs cost more per visit than scheduled maintenance, and an unplanned failure often costs far more in lost business than the repair itself – a maintenance contract’s value is mostly in prevention, not just cheaper labour.

Who benefits most

Businesses where downtime is expensive – retail, hospitality, light manufacturing, offices with server rooms – see the clearest return. A small, low-risk premises may reasonably choose ad-hoc service instead, and that’s a fair call too.

What to look for in a contract

Clear scope of what’s included, realistic response time commitments for issues found, and a provider who actually shows up for scheduled visits rather than treating the contract as a formality.

Frequently asked questions

How often should commercial electrical maintenance happen?

Annual at minimum for most businesses, more frequently for higher-risk or heavier-use premises – we tailor this to your specific site.

Does a maintenance contract replace the need for a Certificate of Compliance?

No, they’re separate – maintenance keeps the installation in good condition; a CoC is the formal compliance certification, typically renewed when work is done.

Interested in a maintenance plan for your business? Get in touch.

Solar, inverter, UPS, generator – if you’re starting from scratch, the number of backup power options is genuinely confusing. Here’s a straight comparison.

The options at a glance

Inverter + battery: covers selected circuits for hours per outage, silent, no fuel needed, moderate upfront cost. Inverter + solar + battery: same as above but recharges for free during the day, higher upfront cost, lower running cost long-term. Generator: unlimited runtime as long as fuel lasts, higher running cost per hour, needs fuel management and periodic maintenance. UPS: instant switchover for specific sensitive equipment, short runtime, not a whole-home solution on its own.

Matching the option to your situation

If load shedding is your main concern and you want a clean, low-maintenance solution, an inverter and battery system – ideally paired with solar over time – covers most households well. If outages are frequent, unpredictable, or extend well beyond scheduled load shedding stages, a generator adds resilience a battery alone can’t. If you run equipment that can’t tolerate even a momentary gap, layer in a UPS regardless of what else you install.

Combining options

Many Cape Town homes and businesses end up combining two or more of these rather than picking one – a UPS on critical equipment, an inverter for general circuits, and solar to offset running costs is a common, sensible combination.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the most cost-effective backup option for a typical home?

An inverter and battery system sized to essential circuits is usually the best balance of cost and coverage for scheduled load shedding specifically.

Can I start small and expand later?

Yes – many systems, particularly inverter and solar setups, can be expanded with additional battery capacity or panels later rather than needing to be sized for everything upfront.

Not sure which backup option suits you? Get a free assessment.

Faulty wiring doesn’t always announce itself dramatically – often it’s a series of small signs that get ignored until they become a bigger problem.

Warning signs

Discoloured or warm outlet covers, a persistent burning smell with no obvious source, lights that flicker or dim when an appliance switches on, outlets that spark when plugging something in, and breakers that trip during normal use are all signs of a wiring issue worth investigating rather than working around.

Why short circuits happen

Most short circuits trace back to damaged wire insulation (from age, rodents, or physical damage), a loose connection that’s arced over time, or water ingress into a junction or outlet – each needs a different fix, which is why proper diagnosis matters more than guessing.

The risk of ignoring small signs

A flickering light or occasional spark rarely gets better on its own – wiring faults tend to worsen with continued use, and early, contained repairs are almost always cheaper and safer than waiting for a bigger failure.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if it’s a wiring fault or just an old appliance?

If the issue happens regardless of which appliance is plugged in, or affects an outlet or light fitting itself rather than one specific device, it’s more likely a wiring issue – worth having assessed either way.

Is faulty wiring covered by home insurance?

Often yes for resulting damage, though a current Certificate of Compliance makes claims significantly smoother.

Noticed signs of a wiring fault? Get it inspected.

Fire and security systems only work when they’re wired correctly and maintained – a smoke detector with a flat battery or a poorly wired alarm circuit gives false confidence, not actual protection.

Smoke detector wiring

Mains-wired smoke detectors (as opposed to standalone battery units) are interconnected so that one triggering sets off all of them – correct wiring and placement matter for genuinely effective coverage, particularly in larger homes.

Fire alarm systems for larger properties

Commercial premises and larger residential properties often need a proper fire alarm panel system rather than standalone detectors, with dedicated circuits and backup power to keep the system operational during an outage.

Security system wiring

Alarm systems, CCTV and electric fencing all need correctly specified circuits, and increasingly need to be considered alongside backup power planning – a security system that goes down with the mains power isn’t protecting anything during an outage.

Frequently asked questions

Do fire and security systems need backup power?

For genuinely effective protection, yes – integrating them with your inverter or UPS backup circuits keeps them operational during load shedding or an outage.

How often should fire and smoke detection wiring be checked?

An annual check is reasonable for most residential systems; commercial fire systems often have specific inspection requirements depending on occupancy type.

Need fire or security wiring installed or checked? Get a quote.

A geyser is one of the biggest single electricity draws in a home, and when it goes wrong, it’s usually one of a handful of common issues.

No hot water

Often a tripped breaker specific to the geyser circuit, a faulty thermostat, or a failed heating element – all diagnosable quickly, and worth checking the DB board first before assuming the worst.

Water too hot or inconsistent temperature

Usually points to a faulty or incorrectly set thermostat rather than a wiring issue – a straightforward fix once diagnosed.

Geyser tripping the DB board

This is worth taking seriously rather than just resetting repeatedly – it often indicates a failing element or moisture ingress into the electrical connection, both of which get worse, not better, if left.

Geyser wiring and compliance

Geyser circuits should have dedicated, correctly rated wiring and proper isolation – older installations sometimes don’t meet current standards, which surfaces during a CoC inspection.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to keep resetting a geyser breaker that trips?

Resetting once is fine; repeated tripping means the underlying fault needs diagnosing rather than continuing to reset it.

How long do geyser thermostats and elements typically last?

It varies with water quality and usage, but elements and thermostats are common wear items over a geyser’s lifespan and are usually a straightforward, contained repair.

Geyser giving you trouble? Get it diagnosed.

Outdoor lighting does double duty – security and usability – but it also faces conditions indoor lighting never has to deal with, which changes what’s worth installing.

Security lighting basics

Motion-sensor floodlights at entry points and dark corners are the most cost-effective security lighting upgrade most properties can make – the sudden light itself is a deterrent, and most modern LED floodlight fittings are inexpensive to run continuously if you prefer that over sensor-triggered.

Weatherproofing matters more outdoors

Outdoor fittings need an appropriate IP (ingress protection) rating for exposure to rain and, near the coast, salt air – using an indoor-rated fitting outdoors is a common DIY mistake that leads to corrosion and early failure.

Garden and pathway lighting

Low-voltage garden lighting is generally safer and cheaper to run than mains-voltage outdoor lighting for pathways and features, and worth considering as part of any broader outdoor lighting plan rather than an afterthought.

Frequently asked questions

What IP rating do I need for outdoor lighting?

IP65 or higher is a sensible minimum for fully exposed outdoor fittings; covered areas can sometimes use a lower rating – we advise based on the specific installation location.

Do motion-sensor lights need a professional installation?

Simple fittings can sometimes be DIY, but wiring into existing circuits or adding new outdoor circuits should be done professionally, particularly given outdoor electrical work’s exposure to moisture.

Looking to improve outdoor lighting or security? See our lighting service.