Inspection cycles for every pole, transformer and switch, restoration clocks that match service standards, and meter and streetlight work, on one located record per asset.
FieldEx is electric utility software for the distribution network beyond the power station, combining field service management with maintenance management (CMMS). Every pole, transformer, switch, streetlight and meter gets a located record; patrols and inspections run on cycle; fault restoration is timed against service standards; and line crews and contractors receive their work on the phone.
A distribution network is hundreds of thousands of assets spread across a service area, each with its own inspection cycle and failure risk. FieldEx plans the patrols, inspections and repairs on those assets, and the customer and street lighting work that comes with them. Book a demo and bring a feeder's worth of assets.
The California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) General Order 165 sets maximum intervals for distribution inspections. Patrols are needed every year in urban areas and every two years in rural areas. Detailed inspections are due every five years for overhead and pad-mounted equipment, and every three years for underground equipment.
| Equipment (GO 165) | Patrol urban / rural | Detailed inspection |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead transformers, switches, conductors | 1 / 2 years | 5 years |
| Underground transformers and switches | 1 / 2 years | 3 years |
| Pad-mounted equipment | 1 / 2 years | 5 years |
| Street lighting | 1 / 2 years | Not set |
| Wood poles over 15 years, not yet tested | 1 / 2 years | Intrusive test within 10 years |
Source: CPUC General Order 165, Table 1.
GO 165 counts a "year" as 12 months from the first full month after the last inspection, plus or minus two months. A utility subject to GO 165 must report completed and outstanding inspections every year.
| GSL2 situation | Restore within |
|---|---|
| Low voltage fault | 3 hours |
| Medium voltage breakdown, listed cities | 3 hours |
| Medium voltage breakdown, other areas | 4 hours |
| Medium voltage breakdown, no alternative feed | 12 hours |
Sources: Suruhanjaya Tenaga, Performance Standard of TNB; TNB, GSL and MSL.
GO 165 defines all three. A patrol is a simple visual inspection to find obvious structural problems and hazards. A detailed inspection examines individual pieces of equipment carefully, visually and with routine diagnostic tests, opening them where practical, and rates and records the condition of each one.
An intrusive inspection involves moving soil, taking samples for analysis or using diagnostic tools beyond visual checks and instrument readings. Wood poles that pass an intrusive inspection are retested within 20 years.
The CPUC adds that detailed inspection records must show each item's condition, any problems found and a scheduled date for corrective action.
| Installation voltage | Minimum visits a month |
|---|---|
| Up to 600 V, fed through 100 A or larger switchgear | 1 |
| Over 600 V up to 11 kV | 2 |
| Over 11 kV up to 132 kV | 4 |
Source: Electricity Regulations 1994, regulation 67.
In Great Britain, Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance set restoration times for distribution network operators. Under normal weather, supply must be restored within 12 hours of the operator becoming aware of the problem. Where 5,000 or more premises are cut off by one incident, the limit is 24 hours.
If an operator misses the standard, it pays the customer. Ofgem's 2026 update sets £100 for a domestic customer and £195 for a non-domestic customer after 12 hours, plus £45 for each further 12 hours. National Grid explains that severe weather categories extend the limit to 24 or 48 hours.
| Situation (Ofgem) | Restore within |
|---|---|
| Normal weather, under 5,000 premises affected | 12 hours |
| Normal weather, 5,000 or more premises affected | 24 hours |
| Severe weather, category 1 | 24 hours |
| Severe weather, category 2 | 48 hours |
Sources: Ofgem GSOP payment update 2026; National Grid standards of performance.
There is no national standard; cities set their own. The City of Phoenix's 311 service says a standard streetlight repair takes 7 to 10 business days, and power faults can take 6 to 8 weeks. The City of Denton's maintenance contract asks the contractor to respond to light-out calls within eight hours or one business day, and to repair within 72 hours.
| Class | Work value | Full-time wiremen (from ST's ECOS page) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Above RM1 million | 1 PW4, 2 PW3, 2 PW1 |
| B | Up to RM1 million | 1 PW4, 1 PW3, 1 PW1 |
| C | Up to RM500,000 | 1 PW4 |
| D | Up to RM100,000 | 1 PW2 |
Sources: Electricity Regulations 1994; ST ECOS contractor registration.
In Denton's contract, extensive repairs must be done within 14 days of knowing about the outage, and emergencies need a response within two hours. San Diego's audit found the city's goal was an average repair time of 12 days or less, and that it was missed in two consecutive years.
NFPA 70B, the US Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, became mandatory in its 2023 edition. Where the manufacturer gives no guidance, its Table 9.2.2 sets maximum intervals based on the equipment's condition, criticality and operating environment. Eaton's guide to the standard explains that the worst of the three sets the interval.
For switchgear, a visual inspection is due every 12 months for condition 1 or 2 equipment and every six months for condition 3. Cleaning, servicing and electrical testing are due every 60, 36 or 12 months. Infrared thermography is required every 12 months, or six months for condition 3.
| Switchgear task (NFPA 70B) | Condition 1 | Condition 2 | Condition 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual inspection | 12 months | 12 months | 6 months |
| Cleaning, servicing, electrical testing | 60 months | 36 months | 12 months |
| Infrared thermography | 12 months | 12 months | 6 months |
Source: Eaton, NFPA 70B guide book.
OSHA's rule 29 CFR 1910.269 covers the operation and maintenance of electric power generation, transmission and distribution. Every employee must be trained in the safety practices that apply to their job. Only qualified employees may work on or with exposed energized lines or parts.
Qualified employees must be able to tell exposed live parts from other parts, determine nominal voltages and keep minimum approach distances. Employers must check compliance through regular supervision and inspections at least once a year. Employees must show they're proficient before their training counts as complete.
GO 165 requires utilities to keep patrol and detailed inspection records for at least ten years, and intrusive inspection records for the life of the pole. Each utility files an annual report listing completed and outstanding inspections.
PG&E's 2025 GO 165 report shows why the detail matters. Three overhead detailed inspections were reported late after a check found an inspector had uploaded photos for the wrong asset. The reinspection was done the same day, but the record still counted as late.
Photos tied to the wrong asset make a completed inspection worthless. Capture them on the asset itself.
Meter exchanges, from old electromechanical meters to smart meters or from failed meters to new ones, are high-volume, address-by-address work. Every exchange needs the old meter's final reading, the new meter's serial number and start reading, photos and access arrangements.
In FieldEx, utility crews and contractors work from the same job and the same asset record, and each party sees only what it needs. Contractor work such as line clearance, streetlight repairs, civil works or meter exchanges lands on the utility's asset history as soon as it's completed, without a separate system.
Utilities pair their network records with software that plans and records the field work. FieldEx handles the field work itself, from located pole, transformer and streetlight records to inspection cycles, restoration timers and contractor logins. For a wider comparison, read our guide to CMMS software.
Yes. Plans can be applied by district or asset type, each with its own interval, and new assets in that district pick up the right plan.
Yes. A fault's SLA can hold a target for each stage up to restoration, set per customer, site or asset, and alerts go out before any target is missed.
Yes. A QR code at a site opens a short form with no login, and the report becomes a job for that site. Portal users can also raise requests and follow progress.
Yes. One upload of the programme's meter list gives you a job per meter, which planners then schedule zone by zone.
Yes. Name a skill after the qualification and give it an expiry date. Jobs that need it go only to people holding it.
Yes. Each contractor logs in to its own account, and roles plus a hierarchy keep it to the jobs it's assigned.
Yes. Transformers, switchgear, batteries and relays sit as components under the substation, each with its own history and plans.
Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced when the phone reconnects.
There's no setup fee: setup, data upload and training are part of the subscription. Your asset lists, sites and earlier jobs can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included.
Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. See FieldEx implementation.
