Tawa is the northernmost suburb within Wellington City, about 15 km north of the centre between Churton Park and Porirua. It stayed largely rural until just before the Second World War and was subdivided for housing after 1945, with state housing at Kenepuru and Hampton Hill in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Infill has since added homes on subdivided quarter acre sections.
Tawa's mix of post-war homes and newer infill means very different boards from one street to the next. We test the board before quoting any new circuit, upgrade where it is needed and add EV chargers, heat pumps and outdoor lighting.
Common Home Types in Tawa
Tawa's post-war houses and state housing from the late 1950s and early 1960s are generally wired in plastic-sheathed cable, but some early homes may still have rubber-insulated cable in places. Original boards often have rewireable fuses or early breakers, little spare space and no RCD protection. By the mid 1950s more people lived on the hilly sides of the valley or in Linden than on the old valley floor, so many homes sit on slopes. Newer infill homes on subdivided sections generally have modern boards ready for extra circuits.
What Tawa Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
Tawa sits in a valley, with homes on both sides and the motorway on the eastern side. Many sections are sloping, so cable runs to garages and sleepouts need planning, and we keep trenches clear of banks. Wind zones vary by site, and a council LIM for one Tawa address records a Very High wind zone, so outdoor lighting should have firm fixings and weatherproof ratings. Tawa can be up to five degrees warmer than Wellington when a foehn effect follows a southerly, but winter nights are still cold, so a heat pump circuit is worth planning for.
Electrical Services in Tawa
- Solar Panels Tawa: Solar panel systems and home batteries sized to your power use, installed and connected by licensed electricians.
- Emergency Electrician: Power out, sparks, a burning smell or a breaker that will not reset?
- Electrical Repairs: Tripping RCDs, dead power points, flickering lights and faulty switches traced to the cause and repaired, not just reset.
- Switchboard Upgrades: Old fuse boards replaced with a modern switchboard, circuit breakers and RCD protection, inspected and certified.
- House Rewiring: Full and partial rewires for villas, bungalows and older homes, replacing tired rubber-insulated or overloaded wiring.
- Power Points: Extra power points, USB sockets, outdoor weatherproof outlets and new circuits for heat pumps, spa pools and workshops.
- Extractor Fans: Bathroom extractor fans and kitchen rangehoods wired and ducted outside, to move steam and damp out of the house.
- CCTV Installation: Home and business security cameras and CCTV, wired or wifi, with recorder setup, outdoor cabling and phone viewing.
- Oven and Cooktop Installation: Ovens, induction cooktops and new kitchen circuits connected safely, including upgrades from gas or older electric hobs.
- Electrical Inspections: Electrical safety inspections and pre-purchase checks with a written report, covering the switchboard, wiring, RCDs and earthing.
- Smoke Alarm Installation: Hard-wired and long-life photoelectric smoke alarms installed in the right places, including rentals that must comply.
- LED Lighting: LED downlights, pendant and feature lighting, dimmers and smart switches, planned around how each room is used.
- Outdoor Lighting: Garden, deck, driveway and security lighting, with sensors and timers, wired safely for the outdoors.
- EV Charger Installation: Home EV chargers installed on a dedicated, properly protected circuit, with a switchboard check and certificate.
- Commercial Electrician: Maintenance, fit-outs, lighting upgrades and fault finding for offices, shops, clinics and light industrial sites.
- Test and Tag: Portable appliance testing and tagging for workplaces, with a full register of results for your records.
- Data Cabling: Network and data cabling for homes and offices: Cat6 points, comms cabinets, wifi access points and TV outlets.
Not sure what you need? Read the electrician prices guide or book an electrician in Tawa.
Working in Tawa
Tawa can be up to five degrees warmer than Wellington when the foehn effect occurs at the tail end of a southerly wind.
Tawa is the northernmost suburb within Wellington City, about 15 km north of the central city between Churton Park and Porirua.
Our electricians are in and around Redwood railway station and Bucket Tree and the rest of Tawa most weeks.
Electrician Tawa FAQs
Can you upgrade the switchboard in my Tawa state house?
Yes. We test the old board, then fit a new one with RCD protection on every circuit and room to grow. A licensed inspector checks it and you get a Certificate of Compliance and a record of inspection.
Can I put an EV charger in my infill home?
Usually. Newer boards often have the space and capacity. WorkSafe guidance requires a dedicated circuit with the right RCD protection, and we confirm everything on site first.
Do you install heat pump circuits?
Yes. A heat pump usually needs its own circuit and an isolating switch outside. We check the board and run the circuit, and can work alongside your heat pump installer.
How do I know if my wiring is unsafe?
Warning signs include scorch marks, warm switches or sockets, buzzing, flickering and fuses that keep blowing. If you notice any of these, turn the circuit off and call us to test it.