What we cover
NZI has been insuring New Zealand businesses since before New Zealand had electricity.
As New Zealand’s largest and longest serving commercial insurer, NZI knows how devastating fire can be. An increase in the number of commercial building fires being traced to faulty electrics has seen electrical fires now recognised as one of the primary risks to commercial property.
That’s why we have a team of experts trained to catch electrical fires before they start. Our NZI Electrical Inspectors can provide our commercial property customers a free Electrical Review*. NZI is the first insurer in the country to offer this service. It’s just one of the ways we’re providing peace of mind for New Zealand business.
Ask your insurance broker to book you in for a free electrical review* or book here.
Catching fire before it starts is one of best ways you can protect your business from the devastating impact fire can have on your property, assets and ability to operate. That’s why we’ve created the NZI Electrical Safety Guide - a practical guide to help protect your business from electrical fire hazards. Download the NZI Electrical Safety Guide to find out more.
Our review of NZI’s significant commercial property damage claims data shows that electrical fires are one of the primary risks to commercial property. Between 2016 – 2023, 1 in 5 of NZI’s significant commercial property damage claims were caused by electrical fire.
The cost of a major commercial property incident resulting from an electrical fire includes not only the direct loss or damage to property and potential harm to employees, but also time spent managing the aftereffects. Costs can include demolition, consents, relocation, temporary make-safe measures and rebuilding. Any electrical fire loss incident, regardless of size, can disrupt work schedules which could result in loss of income, and negatively impact business reputation.
Our Electrical Inspectors are here to help protect New Zealand businesses from the risk of commercial electrical fires. They tap into NZI’s vast database on electrical fires and their causes to guide their reviews and help improve electrical safety. Inspectors work alongside our NZI Risk Consulting team to help identify electrical fire hazards and work closely with you and your insurance broker to work out solutions should any issues arise.
Our team of expert and qualified Electrical Inspectors support NZI customers nationwide, helping to identify electrical fire hazards and manage risk around their commercial properties.
Electrical maintenance is critical. Electrical maintenance can be overlooked by business owners and often isn’t part of regular business maintenance procedures. Putting in place a regular maintenance plan can help mitigate hazards and give businesses peace of mind.
Our electrical inspectors have created an electrical maintenance guide with handy tips and a checklist to help you identify common electrical fire hazards. Being prepared for an electrical fire can help protect businesses against asset and property loss, and most importantly, can save lives.
At NZI, we’re dedicated to providing peace of mind when it comes to the safety of your business. Recognising and addressing electrical fire hazards isn’t just about compliance – it’s to help prevent potential disruptions that could impact your business operations.
The NZI Electrical Defects Guide will help you to manage remedial electrical work and understand the repairs your electrician completes, so that you can ensure the work meets professional standards. The NZI Understanding your thermal report Guide provides helpful tips on what high-quality thermographic images should look like and can help your business verify that the thermographic images you receive are good quality.
What will the NZI Electrical Inspector do?
Each job is different, but typically our Electrical Inspector will:
- Arrange a convenient time to visit your site.
- Conduct non-invasive checks of electrical systems and equipment, which may include main electrical switchboards and systems, fixed wiring, lighting, switchgear, fixed equipment, critical plant, and equipment (including motors, compressors, heaters).
- Undertake thermographic imaging and reporting, which will record the results of the safety check. It will also identify any defects, faults, or deficiencies in the equipment that was tested.
- Provide a summary report of the findings to you and your broker, including any required or recommended remedial work for our insurance purposes.
How much will it cost?
As an NZI customer, the NZI Electrical Review will be at no additional cost as part of your insurance arrangement with us (subject to terms, conditions and eligibility criteria).
As a comparison, a Periodic Verification (PV), completed by a registered electrician, can cost you between $500-$4000 depending on the size of your business.
*Do terms and conditions and eligibility criteria apply?
Yes, they do. Please refer to the terms and conditions in our Electrical Review Brochure for more information. Eligibility criteria also apply. Please contact an NZI Risk Consultant (riskconsulting@nzi.co.nz) to find out whether you are eligible.
How long will the NZI Electrical Review take?
The NZI Electrical Review can take anywhere from 1 hour for simple installations, to 4 hours for more complex systems.
Will I need to shut down while the Review is taking place?
In most instances our NZI Electrical Review can be carried out while equipment is being used. If our Review may cause any significant disruption to your business, we’ll let you know in advance, where possible.
Are the NZI Electrical Inspectors qualified and registered?
Our NZI Electrical Inspectors are qualified Electrical Inspectors and registered with the EWRB (Electrical Workers Registration Board). They are also qualified in Category 1 thermography.
For more FAQ’s and our terms and conditions, please refer to our Electrical Review brochure. Eligibility criteria also apply. Please contact an NZI Risk Consultant (riskconsulting@nzi.co.nz) to find out whether you are eligible.
When was the last time your business had an electrical fire hazard check?
We’ve created a collection of stories of the near misses our team of electrical inspectors have seen. From ballet studios to kitchen manufacturers, our team has stepped in just in time to catch these potential fires before they start.
What do you get when you combine one leading cause of fires – cooking, with another leading cause – electrical fires? Simple. A recipe for disaster.
That’s what a popular little takeaway bar was unknowingly cooking up while they were busy keeping hungry customers happy. Fortunately the building was insured with NZI and had been booked in for a free NZI Electrical Review.* When the inspector arrived he found trouble brewing: significant poor installation practices, temporary wiring in permanent use and circuits driving high load ovens daisy-chained off other power points.
An electrician was called, new electrics installed, and one more fire waiting to happen, was caught before it started.