Working it out in Australia and New Zealand

Same voltage as the UK, but no fuse in the plug — which changes where the limit sits and what you have to check.

The plug does not protect you here

Australian and New Zealand plugs to AS/NZS 3112 contain no fuse. There is no intermediate protection between your light set and the circuit breaker in the switchboard, which means the only figure limiting a chain is the maximum the manufacturer prints on the set.

Find it and use it. Where a set gives no figure, treat the flex as light duty and keep a run under a few hundred watts — with LED sets that is dozens of sets, so it is rarely a real constraint.

Circuits and headroom

Socket circuits are typically 16 or 20 amps, with older installations on 10. At 230 volts a 10 amp circuit carries 2,300 watts and a 20 amp circuit 4,600 watts, before allowing anything for the rest of the house.

Because the circuit is shared, leave a meaningful margin. A fifth in reserve is a sensible working figure even though no regulation requires it.

Typical Australian and New Zealand limits

Circuit	Watts at 230 V	With a fifth in reserve
10 A	2,300 W	1,840 W
16 A	3,680 W	2,944 W
20 A	4,600 W	3,680 W
32 A	7,360 W	5,888 W

RCD protection and the summer problem

AS/NZS 3000 requires RCD protection on socket circuits, and outdoor lighting is exactly the case it exists for. If you are in an older place without RCDs, a portable RCD is worth the small cost.

Southern hemisphere Christmas brings a second issue northern guides never mention: heat and UV. Sets left up through a run of forty degree days degrade faster than the same product in a European winter, and sun-perished insulation is a real hazard by the second or third season. Inspect flex before you put it up, not after.

Common questions

How many Christmas lights can I run in Australia?

A 10 amp circuit carries 2,300 watts at 230 volts, and a 20 amp circuit 4,600. Leave about a fifth spare for everything else on the circuit.

Are Australian plugs fused?

No. Unlike UK plugs, AS/NZS 3112 plugs contain no fuse, so the maximum number of sets you can join is whatever the manufacturer prints on the packaging.

Do I need an RCD for outdoor lights?

Socket circuits require RCD protection under AS/NZS 3000, and outdoor lighting is precisely the risk it addresses. A portable RCD is a cheap fix for older installations.

Can I leave lights up all year?

It is hard on them. UV and summer heat perish flex and seals faster than a northern winter does, so inspect cables for cracking before reusing sets that have been outside.

Work out your own load

The load calculator checks both limits against your display.