Electrical wiring colours can look straightforward until you open an older plug, inspect wiring in an older property, or come across imported equipment that does not use the colours you expected.
For newer flexible cords in New Zealand, the basic colour convention is relatively simple: brown is used for active, light blue for neutral, and green/yellow for earth. Older cords and fixed wiring can look different, which is where much of the confusion comes from.
This guide explains the main NZ wiring colours, older colour codes, plug wiring, 230 to 240V systems, three-phase wiring and why colour should never be your only method of identifying a conductor.
If you are checking portable electrical equipment in a workplace rather than carrying out electrical installation work, our professional test and tag services in New Zealand can help identify damaged plugs, leads and electrical safety issues.
Quick Guide to Common NZ Wiring Colours
For newer flexible cords, WorkSafe guidance identifies the following colours:
| Conductor | Common New Colour |
|---|---|
| Active / Live | Brown |
| Neutral | Light Blue |
| Earth | Green/Yellow |
These are the colours most people will recognise in a modern appliance lead or flexible power cord.
The diagram is useful as a quick reference, but there is an important catch. Older New Zealand wiring can use different colours, and fixed electrical installations are not always as simple as matching brown, blue and green/yellow.
That is why the age of the wiring and the type of cable matter.
If the colours in a plug, cable or electrical installation do not match the modern brown, blue and green/yellow convention, do not assume the wiring is incorrect. It may be an older installation or use a different conductor identification system.
The safest approach is to verify the conductor before electrical work is carried out.
1. Brown Is Commonly the Active or Live Wire in New Flexible Cords
If you open a newer flexible cord or plug in New Zealand, the brown conductor is normally the active or live wire.
The active conductor carries electrical energy from the supply to the appliance. Because it can be energised while the circuit is operating, it presents an electric shock risk if it is touched or handled incorrectly.
This is why the colour should be treated as an identification aid, not proof that a conductor is live or safe.
What colour is the live wire in New Zealand?
For newer flexible cords, the live or active conductor is normally brown.
Older flexible cords may instead use red for active. That difference is particularly important when working around older appliances, extension leads or equipment that has been in service for many years.
If you are unsure which conductor is active, it should be properly tested rather than identified from colour alone.
2. Light Blue Is Commonly Used for Neutral
In newer flexible cords, the light blue conductor is normally neutral.
The neutral conductor forms part of the electrical circuit and carries current during normal operation. Although it is described as neutral, that does not mean it should automatically be treated as safe to touch.
Older flexible cords commonly used black for neutral, so someone familiar with an older colour system could easily become confused when looking at newer equipment.
What colour is the neutral wire in NZ?
For newer flexible cords, neutral is normally light blue.
For older flexible cords, neutral may be black.
This old-versus-new difference is one reason wiring colours should always be considered alongside the age and type of equipment.
3. Green and Yellow Identifies the Protective Earth
The green/yellow conductor is used for protective earth in newer flexible cords.
Unlike active and neutral conductors, the earth conductor is there primarily for safety. If a fault causes an exposed conductive part of an appliance to become energised, the protective earth provides a path for fault current so protective devices can operate.
Older flexible cords may use green rather than green/yellow for earth.
One rule deserves particular attention: green or green/yellow should not simply be repurposed to identify an active or neutral conductor. The Electrical Workers Registration Board specifically warns that incorrect conductor identification can create a serious risk of electric shock.
What colour is the earth wire in New Zealand?
For newer flexible cords, earth is normally green/yellow.
Older cords and some older wiring may use green.
If the protective earth conductor in an appliance, plug or lead appears damaged, the equipment should be taken out of service and properly assessed before it is used again.
4. NZ Plug Wiring Usually Uses Brown, Blue and Green/Yellow
If you are looking specifically for NZ plug wiring colours, a newer three-core flexible cord will generally contain:
Brown: active
Light blue: neutral
Green/yellow: earth
These conductors connect to the corresponding terminals in a correctly wired plug.
Older flexible cords can look different:
Red: active
Black: neutral
Green: earth
That difference matters because an older appliance may still be perfectly normal for its age even though the conductor colours do not match what you would see in a newer power lead.
WorkSafe recommends using appliances with moulded plugs where possible rather than rewiring plugs unnecessarily.
If a plug, cord or appliance looks damaged, repairing it by following a wiring diagram found online is not always the safest option. Where there is any doubt, have the equipment checked by someone with the appropriate electrical knowledge and skills.
5. 230V and “240V” Wiring Colours Need Some Context
People still commonly search for NZ 240V wiring colours, even though New Zealand's nominal low-voltage mains supply is generally referred to as 230V.
For a newer flexible cord used with typical single-phase equipment, you will commonly see:
brown for active, light blue for neutral and green/yellow for earth.
But this should not be confused with saying that every conductor inside a New Zealand building follows that exact colour combination.
Fixed electrical installations can contain cabling installed under older standards, and conductor identification can depend on the type of wiring and when the work was completed.
For example, WorkSafe's published homeowner wiring guidance shows older TPS cable using red for active, black for neutral and green or green/yellow for earth.
So if you are searching for a simple “240V wiring diagram NZ”, remember that the colour of the wire is only one part of identifying the circuit correctly.
6. Three-Phase Wiring Uses More Than One Active Conductor
Three-phase electrical systems are common in commercial, industrial and other workplaces where equipment requires more power than a typical single-phase supply.
Unlike a standard flexible appliance cord, a three-phase circuit has multiple phase conductors. This means identification becomes more complex than simply looking for one brown active wire.
Current wiring rules provide specific requirements for identifying phases, neutral and protective earth conductors. Those requirements also allow conductor identification by approved sleeving in some circumstances.
This is where overly simple online colour charts can become misleading.
A building may contain older three-phase wiring, newer wiring, alterations completed at different times or imported machinery whose internal cable colours follow another standard.
The safest approach is therefore to identify each conductor according to the installation and confirm its function through appropriate electrical testing.
What are the three-phase wiring colours in New Zealand?
Modern installations may use brown, black and grey to identify phase conductors, with blue for neutral and green/yellow for protective earth, depending on the wiring system and applicable standard.
However, older installations may use other colour combinations.
If you are working with three-phase equipment, do not determine conductor function from colour alone.
7. Old NZ Wiring Colours Can Be Very Different
Older New Zealand electrical installations can look quite different from newer appliance cords and cables.
For older flexible cords, WorkSafe guidance identifies red as active, black as neutral and green as earth. Older TPS fixed wiring may also use red and black conductors, with green or green/yellow for earth.
This creates an obvious problem for anyone who assumes that brown, blue and green/yellow are the only colours they will ever encounter.
An older home or commercial building can also contain wiring from several different periods. Original wiring may remain in part of the property while later extensions, renovations or equipment upgrades use newer conductor identification.
This means more than one colour convention can sometimes exist within the same building.
For example, seeing a black conductor does not automatically tell you what it does without knowing what type of cable you are looking at and when it was installed. The same caution applies to red, blue or other conductor colours.
Imported equipment adds another complication. The Electrical Workers Registration Board notes that imported appliances and equipment can use colour systems that differ from New Zealand fixed wiring requirements.
If wiring does not match the colours you expected, do not assume it is wrong and do not guess its function. Have it properly identified before electrical work is carried out.
Old vs New NZ Flexible Cord Colours
A simple comparison makes the change easier to understand:
| Function | Newer Flexible Cord | Older Flexible Cord |
|---|---|---|
| Active / Live | Brown | Red |
| Neutral | Light Blue | Black |
| Earth | Green/Yellow | Green |
This is one of the most useful distinctions to remember when looking at older electrical appliances or leads.
It also explains why advice such as “black always means neutral” or “brown always means live” can be unsafe when the type and age of the wiring are unknown.
Why Did NZ Wiring Colours Change?
New Zealand's conductor identification requirements have evolved as electrical standards have changed and become more closely aligned with Australian and international conventions.
The practical result is that newer appliances and flexible cords can look different from equipment manufactured or installed decades ago.
The change helps create clearer and more consistent identification, but it also means electricians and property owners need to recognise older wiring when they encounter it.
This is especially relevant during renovations and maintenance, where older and newer cabling may exist side by side.
What If the Wiring Colours Do Not Match?
Finding unexpected wire colours does not automatically mean the wiring is unsafe or incorrectly installed.
There are several possible explanations. The equipment may be older, the installation may have been completed under an earlier standard, the appliance may have been imported, or conductor sleeving may have been used for identification.
What matters is confirming what each conductor actually does.
The Electrical Workers Registration Board recommends testing conductors before alterations are carried out rather than assuming their function from colour.
That is particularly important when older wiring and newer wiring meet within the same installation.
Wiring Colours and Portable Electrical Equipment
Wire colours can help identify how an appliance or lead is constructed, but workplace electrical safety goes beyond colour identification.
Portable equipment can develop problems through regular movement, damaged plugs, crushed leads, worn insulation or internal electrical faults.
Some of those issues are visible. Others require electrical testing.
Depending on the equipment, testing may include earth continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, leakage and inspection of plugs and leads.
If you manage electrical equipment at a workplace, our guide to test and tag requirements in New Zealand explains how inspection and testing can fit into a broader electrical safety programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main electrical wire colours in New Zealand?
For newer flexible cords, brown is used for active, light blue for neutral and green/yellow for earth. Older cords may use red for active, black for neutral and green for earth.
What colour is the live wire in NZ?
In newer flexible cords, the active or live conductor is normally brown. Older flexible cords may use red.
What colour is neutral in New Zealand?
Newer flexible cords normally use light blue for neutral. Older flexible cords commonly use black.
What colour is the earth wire in NZ?
Newer flexible cords normally use green/yellow for protective earth. Older cords may use green.
What are NZ plug wiring colours?
A newer three-core flexible cord commonly uses brown for active, light blue for neutral and green/yellow for earth. Older cords can use red, black and green.
What are NZ 240V wiring colours?
For common newer single-phase flexible cords connected to a 230 to 240V supply, brown is typically active, light blue neutral and green/yellow earth. Fixed wiring and older installations can use different conductor identification.
What colours are used for three-phase wiring in New Zealand?
Modern three-phase installations may use brown, black and grey for phase conductors, blue for neutral and green/yellow for earth. Older installations can differ, so conductor function should be verified rather than assumed from colour.
Why does old NZ wiring use different colours?
Electrical standards and conductor identification conventions have changed over time. Older flexible cords commonly used red, black and green rather than the brown, light blue and green/yellow combination found in newer cords.
Can I identify a wire by colour alone?
No. Colour is useful for identification, but it is not enough to confirm a conductor's function or whether it is safe. Older wiring, imported equipment and conductor sleeving can all create variations.
Final Thoughts
The simplest way to understand NZ wiring colours is to start with the type of wiring you are looking at.
For a newer flexible appliance cord, brown usually means active, light blue means neutral and green/yellow means earth. Older cords commonly use red, black and green instead.
Once you move into older fixed wiring, three-phase installations or imported equipment, the picture becomes more complicated. That is why colour should be treated as a guide rather than proof.
If you need help checking portable electrical appliances and leads in your workplace, learn more about our electrical test and tag services across New Zealand or request a quote.
Call 0800 733 858
Electrical Safety Disclaimer
This article provides general information about electrical wiring colours. It is not a wiring instruction manual. Electrical installation, alteration and repair work should only be carried out by someone authorised and appropriately qualified to perform that work. Never rely on conductor colour alone when determining its function or whether it is safe.
