Highway electrical work requires more than general electrical competence. It takes place in public-facing, safety-critical environments where lighting, signage, traffic infrastructure, communications and roadside electrical assets all need to be installed, maintained and repaired safely.
For highway authorities, principal contractors, infrastructure operators and asset managers, contractor competence is an important part of project assurance. The right contractor should be able to demonstrate relevant experience, safe systems of work, suitable training, clear documentation and an understanding of the standards expected across the highways sector.
This guide explains what HERS is, why it matters and what clients should look for when appointing a highways electrical contractor.
What Is HERS?
HERS stands for the Highway Electrical Registration Scheme. It is used across the highway electrical sector to support competence, registration and quality standards for people and organisations working on highway electrical systems.
Highway electrical work can involve assets such as street lighting, illuminated signs, traffic signs, feeder pillars, distribution equipment, communications infrastructure and other roadside systems. Because these assets sit within live public environments, contractors need to be able to show that work will be planned and delivered safely.
HERS helps clients and principal contractors identify whether organisations and operatives have relevant highways electrical competence. It should be considered alongside wider contractor checks, including project experience, health and safety processes, insurance, electrical registration and the specific requirements of the contract.
Why HERS Matters in Highway Electrical Projects
Highway electrical projects involve risks that are not always present in standard commercial electrical work. Contractors may be working near live roads, public spaces, traffic management arrangements, roadside assets and infrastructure that supports road-user safety.
A fault in a highway electrical system can have serious consequences. Lighting outages can reduce visibility, signage failures can affect driver information, communication faults can disrupt monitoring, and electrical defects can create safety risks for workers and the public.
Because of this, highway electrical contractors need more than technical installation ability. They also need to understand access planning, public safety, safe isolation, permits, RAMS, traffic-management interfaces, asset records and the importance of completing works with clear evidence and documentation.
Who Manages HERS?
HERS is managed by the Highway Electrical Association. The Highway Electrical Association supports organisations working in the highway electrical sector and is closely associated with the competence and registration expectations that apply to highway electrical work.
When clients search for a highway electrical association contractor, they are often looking for a business that understands the specific requirements of highway electrical environments, including competence, documentation, safe working and sector-specific registration.
Before appointing any contractor, it is important to check the exact status being claimed. HEA membership, HERS registration, ECS HERS carded operatives and NHSS8-related competence are connected but not identical. Clients should ask for current evidence and check that the scope matches the type of work being delivered.
What Types of Work Can HERS Apply To?
HERS can be relevant to a wide range of highway electrical work. This may include street lighting, road lighting, illuminated traffic signs, feeder pillars, electrical distribution, control equipment, road tunnels, highway communications, CCTV, roadside technology and other electrical assets located within highways environments.
For asset managers, the key point is that the contractor’s competence should match the work being carried out. A contractor maintaining lighting columns may need different evidence from a contractor working on control cabinets, tunnel systems, illuminated signage or communications equipment.
Where a project includes several different asset types, clients should confirm how competence will be managed across the full scope. This may include checking organisational registration, individual operative competence, electrical qualifications, supervision arrangements and any specialist training required for the site.
HERS, NHSS8 and Highway Electrical Competence
HERS is closely linked with competence expectations in highway electrical work, while NHSS8 refers to the National Highway Sector Scheme for the installation and maintenance of highway electrical equipment and supporting works.
For clients and principal contractors, the relationship between HERS, NHSS8 and contractor competence matters because it helps define whether a business can demonstrate the right systems, training and controls for highways electrical work.
A contractor should be able to explain which registrations, accreditations or competence records apply to the project. They should also be able to provide relevant evidence, such as HERS details, HEA membership where applicable, ECS HERS cards, electrical registration, health and safety documentation, RAMS, insurance and previous project experience.
What Clients Should Check Before Appointing a Contractor
Before appointing a highways electrical contractor, clients should check more than price and availability. Competence, safety and evidence are central to reducing project risk.
Useful checks include HERS registration, HEA membership, ECS HERS cards, NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent electrical registration, public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance where relevant, RAMS, health and safety accreditations, previous highways experience and examples of similar completed work.
Clients should also ask how the contractor manages reporting. For planned maintenance, repairs and inspections, good reporting should include completed works, defects, failed test results, photographs where appropriate, remedial recommendations and any follow-up actions required.
HERS Registered Contractor vs General Electrical Contractor
A general electrical contractor may be competent to carry out many types of electrical installation, testing and maintenance work. However, highways electrical environments bring additional practical and safety considerations.
Working on or near the highway may involve traffic management, restricted access, roadside hazards, public interaction, asset-owner requirements and strict processes for permits, documentation and handover. Contractors also need to understand how highway electrical assets fit into wider road safety and network resilience.
This does not mean a general electrical contractor is unsuitable for every highways-related task, but clients should make sure the contractor can demonstrate relevant highways competence and experience. For many highways projects, HERS registration or equivalent competence evidence may be an important part of the appointment process.
How HERS Supports Principal Contractors
Principal contractors need confidence that subcontractors are competent, properly documented and able to work safely within the project environment. HERS registration and associated competence evidence can support this assurance process.
For highways electrical work, this can help principal contractors manage project risk, confirm operative competence, demonstrate compliance expectations and maintain safer delivery across the supply chain.
It can also support more consistent project documentation. When contractors understand the evidence required for highways electrical work, they are better placed to provide the records, reports, certificates and handover information that principal contractors and asset owners need.
How Hybrid Electrical Solutions Supports Highway Electrical Work
Hybrid Electrical Solutions supports highways electrical work across repair, planned preventative maintenance, inspections, lighting support, remedial works, project delivery, reporting and principal contractor support.
Our team can help with electrical repair services for highway assets, planned maintenance programmes, fault finding, condition reporting, installation support, lighting maintenance, control equipment, communications infrastructure and related roadside or transport infrastructure assets.
Where required, Hybrid can work within wider project teams, supporting principal contractors, highway authorities, infrastructure operators and specialist highways delivery partners with RAMS, access planning, reporting, maintenance recommendations and remedial works.
Any reference to Hybrid as a HERS registered contractor, HEA member or highway electrical association contractor should be confirmed against current registration records before publication. Where verified, those details should be clearly stated with the correct scheme name, registration information and scope.
Speak to Hybrid About Highways Electrical Services
If you are planning highway electrical works, contractor competence should be considered from the start. The right partner should understand the assets, the working environment, the safety requirements and the documentation needed to support confident delivery.
Hybrid Electrical Solutions can support highways electrical repairs, planned preventative maintenance, inspections, lighting works, remedial projects and wider electrical support for road, tunnel, communications and transport infrastructure environments.
Speak to Hybrid about highway electrical work, contractor competence, PPM, repairs, inspections or project support for your next highways infrastructure project.