Electrical Wire Colour Code in Singapore

Electrical wire colour codes allow us to understand the purpose of a wire in an electrical installation. In this article, our electrician will explain the colour codes for the live, neutral, and earth wires before and after the Energy Market Authority (EMA) moved Singapore to the new colour code on 1st March 2009.

New Electrical Wire Colour Code in Singapore (after 2009)

In a single-phase power supply, the electrical wire colour code in Singapore for the live wire is Brown, the neutral wire is Blue, and the earth wire is green and yellow.

In a three-phase power supply, the electrical wire colour code in Singapore for the live wire is Brown (L1), Black (L2), and Grey (L3). The neutral wire is Blue, and the earth wire is green and yellow.

Old Electrical Wire Colour Code in Singapore (before 2009)

In a single-phase power supply, the electrical wire colour code in Singapore for the live wire was Red, the neutral wire was Black, and the earth wire was green and yellow.

In a three-phase power supply, the electrical wire colour code in Singapore for the live wire was Red (L1), Yellow (L2), and Blue (L3). The neutral wire was Black, and the earth wire was green and yellow.

Why was the new colour code implemented?

The EMA amended the Singapore cable colour code to align with the European technical standards set by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC).

This change made it easier to understand the use of a cable in an installation as the colour code now matches those used in Europe.

When was the new cable colour code effected in Singapore?

This colour code amendment took place over two years, from 1st March 2009 to 1st March 2011. During this period, electrical installations were allowed to use the old and new colour codes.

Why is there more than one colour code used on my property?

If you have a property built before 2009 that had electrical addition and alteration work done by an electrician after 2009, you may find a mix of the old and new colour codes in the property.

If the fixed electrical wiring on your property has multiple colour codes, you may find the following warning notice placed at your distribution board:

Does the colour code apply to cables for appliances?

The new colour code does not apply to flexible cables used to connect electrical appliances to a wall socket.

You may find colours other than those listed in the colour code table above used for the wires in electrical appliances.