Had new consumer unit fitted... what next?

I've recently had a new consumer unit fitted and circuits tested... the electrician has sent me the invoice, but, currently there is no sign-off paperwork/certificate.

I've yet to get a call back from the electrician, as I wanted to check all paperwork is complete and correct before paying the bill.

What should I expect from him, presumably a certificate for example?

The electrician is listed on the Elecsa website

I understand this is notifiable... should the sparky do it or should I have notified the council?

TIA

If he's listed with Elecsa then he's Okay to sign off his own work. I'd call him and if you can't get through leave a message informing you'll withhold payment until he brings your certificate with all test results.

If you go here you can download model forms for the Electrical Installation Certificate you should get.

Elecsa may provide their members with differently formatted ones, but customising the layout, colours, logos etc does not affect what information should be captured on it.

You should receive:

An Electrical Installation Certificate,
A Schedule of Inspections and
A Schedule of Test Results
within a reasonable time from the electrician

then
A Certificate of Compliance
in a couple of weeks from Elecsa who will have notified it to the Council.

Thanks all.

I've just phoned the sparky again, he answered this time... paperwork will be carried out this weekend, he also said he has to do it within 30 days anyway.

Just a side note but a lot of sparks including myself don’t provide the certificates until the invoice has been paid. All my quotations state in the terms and conditions that all certification will be provided once receipt of full payment.

We've had this discussion here before.

Essentially Gaz the Sparky said:

I insist on being paid in full for a job before I have actually finished it.

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We can either revisit the last discussion or go again on the topic of how reprehensible that is.

ban-all-sheds said:

We've had this discussion here before.



We can either revisit the last discussion or go again on the topic of how reprehensible that is.

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Indeed. I will never pay any tradesman in full until the job is completed.

If you complete a job and the customer fails to pay, we have a thing called the Small Claims Court for just such a situation. If it's a really big job, then you should perhaps negotiate staged payments with the final payment not being due until all the certificates etc have been provided. That way if the customer is going to default the most you stand to lose is one stage payment, which you can recover as above.

davelx said:

Indeed. I will never pay any tradesman in full until the job is completed.

If you complete a job and the customer fails to pay, we have a thing called the Small Claims Court for just such a situation. If it's a really big job, then you should perhaps negotiate staged payments with the final payment not being due until all the certificates etc have been provided. That way if the customer is going to default the most you stand to lose is one stage payment, which you can recover as above.

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I run my business how I feel fit. It has helped me on a few occasions get the monies I am owed. Had a couple of customers who had work done on extensions with building control involved.

I had part payments along the way but the last invoice was ignored. Phoned and emailed sent letters and was about to go the leagal route when the customer contacted me asking for the Certificate as buliding control wouldn’t sign the house off. I said pay the last invoice and u will have them that day. Sure to say that day invoice was paid and Certs emailed over to them everyone happy. Did some work for the builder on another job and apparently he had the same issue the customer never paid his last invoice. And the builder was taking it to court.

What happens when you get a MOT on your car?

The garage don’t give you the certificate and keys till you payed.



If the job is a big job it’s staged payments and once the final invoice is paid they get a copy of the certification. To be fair most customers are not bothered by having copies.

All work is completed and I make sure the customer is happy before leaving and issuing the invoice. I carry out the testing and the certification for my records and always complete a test cert. so if any regulatory body wants to see them they are there to inspect. I am mearly not forwarding a copy to the customer until I have payment Or the final payment if it’s staged payments

The world revolves around having to pay before you get a service/ product so why should we be any different.

You don’t do your online shopping at Tesco and get then to deliver it to your door before paying

I buy a house I have to pay for it and pay solicitors the monies before I get the keys to the house.

You don’t say I’m not paying anything till I have the keys in my hand and I’ve looked around the house

Or buying anything online

You can look at it however you like. But the jobs are complete it’s mearly a small bargaining tool I use just incase. I would prefer not to have to do it at all but a fact of the world not all people are honest. I clearly state in my terms that alll certification will be forwarded once payment has been taken.


As said there are different thoughts on the matter and different people run there businesses differently. I choose to do that and other tradesmen choose to hand everything over before payment. Neither is right or wrong.

Gaz the Sparky said:

Just a side note but a lot of sparks including myself don’t provide the certificates until the invoice has been paid. All my quotations state in the terms and conditions that all certification will be provided once receipt of full payment.

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Its common for architects to do drawings, but ask for payment before submitting to the planning portal.......

If a forklift training guy comes in, he doesnt supply the certificates until he gets his payment.

I can understand a 'lever' to encourage payment.

davelx said:

If you complete a job and the customer fails to pay, we have a thing called the Small Claims Court for just such a situation.

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True in theory, in practice it doesnt work for such a situation.

davelx said:

Indeed. I will never pay any tradesman in full until the job is completed.

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A tradesman might think, Ive done all the work, I will hold back the cert until I get paid.

I have no doubt you are honourable and will pay in full on the nail provided you are happy with the work. There are customers that dont think like that, they blackmail by either coming up with unreasonable snagging or they force extras to be done that werent included in order to releaase the final payment.

Trust, or lack of, plays both ways

What happens when the tradesman won't supply certificates until paid, and customer won't pay until certificates are issued?
Who is going to lose the most?


If you feel like that then you should revisit the customer and exchange certificates and payment at the same time.

Notch7 said:

A tradesman might think, Ive done all the work, I will hold back the cert until I get paid.

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Ah, but you've not done all the work. Your quote would have stated compliance with BS7671 (if it didn't you would not have got the contract in the first place), and such compliance REQUIRES that you issue the certificates. Therefore the work is not complete and you don't get paid, until you have.

Gaz the Sparky said:

I run my business how I feel fit. .

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And I choose my trademen on the way they run their business. So no worries I guess,as we will never do business.

EFLImpudence said:

What happens when the tradesman won't supply certificates until paid, and customer won't pay until certificates are issued? Who is going to lose the most?

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I would say that it's an obvious situation for negotiating a compromise, whereby no-one is likely to 'lose' much, even in the worst of scenarios one might imagine.

The most obvious compromise would seem to be for the customer to pay 'most' (however decided/agreed) of the total price prior to supply of certs, then the remainder once the certs have been handed over.

Kind Regards, John

EFLImpudence said:

What happens when the tradesman won't supply certificates until paid, and customer won't pay until certificates are issued?
Who is going to lose the mostl

If you feel like that then you should revisit the customer and exchange certificates and payment at the same time.

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Most customers are not particularly fussed by it. They pay the invoice once happy and as soon as the money hits the bank they get an email with a copy of the certificate or if they ask a printed copy is posted to them for there records.

If it’s a standoff I’ve never had that then I would do as suggested but it’s just good business

davelx said:

And I choose my trademen on the way they run their business. So no worries I guess,as we will never do business.

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That’s fine customers can choose a tradesman on his business and how they feel about his values and work ethic or just the price and to be fair if A customer likes my quotation but is put off by the little fact that I won’t realise certs until I’m paid for the work i have carried out I would question Why they are making a issue (would they be looking to bump me for the money I’m owed)

It would make me nurvous working for them.

What people forget is as much as a customer chooses a tradesman a tradesman also chooses a customer

Let’s not get nasty about all this I was mearly saying that different people have different ways of working some give certificates over before expecting to get paid some don’t.