Lincoln was laid out as a grid township in 1862, with North, East, South and West belts and main streets named after founder James Edward FitzGerald. It is now the Selwyn District's second-largest town, with an estimated 12,100 people in June 2025, 22 kilometres southwest of Christchurch.
Lincoln University, the oldest agricultural tertiary institution in the Southern Hemisphere, and research institutes such as AgResearch sit alongside fast-growing housing. Our work here ranges from upgrading boards in older homes to EV chargers and solar for new builds.
Common Home Types in Lincoln
Older homes inside the original grid can have aged boards with limited RCD protection, and the oldest may have rubber-insulated cable that should be replaced. New subdivisions, including the 186 hectares south of the town that councillors backed in 2021 for sections of 400 to 600 square metres, are built with modern boards ready for extra circuits.
What Lincoln Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
Lincoln is on the Orion network, so solar export is capped at 5 kW on a single phase. NIWA notes frosts are common across Canterbury in the cooler months and settle on flat ground on calm nights, which makes heat pump circuits worth planning for. Selwyn District Council began chlorinating the Lincoln water supply in November 2022.
Electrical Services in Lincoln
- 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.
- 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.
- Security Cameras: 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.
- Solar Installation: Solar panel systems and home batteries sized to your power use, installed and connected by licensed electricians.
- 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 Lincoln.
Working in Lincoln
The town was on the railway from 1875 until 1967, and the Little River Rail Trail now follows the old route.
Selwyn District Council began chlorinating the Lincoln water supply in November 2022 to meet new national drinking water rules.
Our electricians are in and around Little River Rail Trail and Lincoln High School and the rest of Lincoln most weeks.
Electrician Lincoln FAQs
Can you upgrade an older Lincoln switchboard?
Yes. We test it first and quote in writing for a new board with full RCD protection if it needs one.
How much solar can I export in Lincoln?
Lincoln is on Orion, which limits single-phase export to 5 kW. The limit is recorded on the Certificate of Compliance.
Can my new Lincoln home take an EV charger?
Usually. We confirm capacity and run a dedicated circuit with Type B RCD protection or an accepted alternative.
Do you install outdoor lighting?
Yes. We fit garden, driveway and security lighting on RCD-protected circuits.