The Office of the Technical Regulator was established under the Electricity Act 1996 and the Gas Act 1997 . The primary role of the Technical Regulator is to ensure the safety of workers, consumers and property, and to ensure compliance with legislation and technical standards and codes throughout the electricity and gas industries.

The principal functions of the Technical Regulator under the Electricity Act 1996 are: 

a. the monitoring and regulation of safety and technical standards in the electricity supply industry; and

b. the monitoring and regulation of safety and technical standards with respect to electrical installations; and

c. the administration of the provisions of the Act relating to clearance of vegetation from powerlines; and

d. any other functions assigned to the Technical Regulator under the Act

The Technical Regulator has also been assigned, under the Electrical Products Act 2000 , the examination, testing, safety and energy labelling of electrical products and minimum energy performance (MEPS) registration of electrical appliances and equipment.

Under the Gas Act 1997 the Technical Regulator has the following functions: 

a. the monitoring and regulation of safety and technical standards in the gas supply industry; and

b. the monitoring and regulation of safety and technical standards with respect to gas installations and gas appliances; and

c. the provision of advice in relation to safety or technical standards in the gas supply industry to the Essential Services Commission (ESCOSA) at ESCOSA's request; and

d. any other functions assigned to the Technical Regulator under this Act.

The Technical Regulator is a Statutory Officer who is required to report to Parliament on the Technical Regulator's operations under the Gas and Electricity Acts each year.

The Technical Regulator is involved in three main regulatory areas: 

• Appliances: safety and technical standards for gas and electricity appliances, including approval and certification of appliances for use in SA.
  

• Installations: safety and technical standards for gas and electricity installations, including a mandated Certificate of Compliance scheme to ensure electrical and gas workers and contractors comply with the legislated requirements including appropriate national technical standards.
  

• Utility Infrastructure: safety and technical standards for gas and electricity supply, including electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, and gas distribution. 

The regulatory processes and procedures adopted seek to encourage the energy supply industries to be self-regulating while achieving industry best practice, as defined in various Australian and International Standards called up in the Regulations. How well the companies' quality systems are working is determined through audits and comparisons against industry benchmarks. Gas and electricity infrastructure companies must also achieve compliance with approved safety, reliability, maintenance and technical management plans.  The contents of those plans is specified in the regulations.  The Technical Regulator assesses plans for approval and then monitors the effectiveness of and compliance with the plans that have been approved.

The Technical Regulator is involved in national regulatory developments to ensure national consistency within the electricity and gas industry. This is achieved by active membership and contribution by the OTR to the Gas Technical Regulator's Committee, the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council, and active involvement in a number of national technical code development committees, run by Standards Australia and the Electricity Supply Association of Australia. 

The Technical Regulator provides technical advice to the economic regulators of the electricity and gas supply industries in South Australia as provided by legislation.  A protocol has been developed with ESCOSA to ensure

• the cost of regulation is minimised, and
  

• the effectiveness of regulation is maximised (e.g., by avoiding duplication of requirements).