Appointing an electrician - advice please!

[Pablo79]

Hi all,

I'm looking to appoint an electrician, but have no idea what qualifications or affiliations I need to be looking for, if any.

In a nutshell, I'll be running power from the main CU, outside with armoured cable and to the garage at the other end of the garden. A small CU in the garage with a ring main and lighting. Not too difficult.

Questions...

Does the electrician need to be affiliated with someone like the NICEIC?

The electrician said he'll 'certify' the job once it's done. Can any electrician do this?

I've found an electrician to do the job. I don't know any electricians so went through Rated People, and found one with loads of perfect reviews. A competitive quote too. However, I just want to know what I need to be looking for and what is essential for this work from a legal standpoint.

Many thanks.

 

[JohnW2]

I'm looking to appoint an electrician ... In a nutshell, I'll be running power from the main CU, outside with armoured cable and to the garage at the other end of the garden. A small CU in the garage with a ring main and lighting. Not too difficult. ... Does the electrician need to be affiliated with someone like the NICEIC? ... The electrician said he'll 'certify' the job once it's done. Can any electrician do this?

Just to be clear, before you can be given a proper answer,, are you talking about getting this electrician to undertake all the work or, as your words seem to imply, is the intention that the electrician will 'certify' work that you undertake yourself?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Pablo79]

My apologies for not being clear. I will not be doing any of this myself! The electrician will be doing all of this work.

 

[JohnW2]

My apologies for not being clear. I will not be doing any of this myself! The electrician will be doing all of this work.

OK, thanks - that makes it simple.

The installation of a new circuit(s) is 'notifiable' work (i.e. has to be notified to the Building Control Dept of local authority). What you need (and it sounds as if that is probably what you have found) is an electrician who is a member of one of the 'self-certification schemes' (e.g. NICEIC) - in which case he can 'certify' the work himself and notify that certification to the LA (via his scheme operator) for a few pounds. If you employed an electrician who was not a member of such a scheme, the work would still be 'legal' (if done competently!), but it would then be necessary to go through the formal notification system (potentially costing 'hundreds' of pounds) and getting a 'Completion Certificate' from the LA.

So, all you need to confirm is that your electrician is a member of a 'self-certification scheme'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Pablo79]

Many thanks for that.

The contractor I've appointed advised he adheres to chapter 17 and what not, and that he is going through the NICEIC process. However, he's not on their website.

Due to his numerous positive ratings I was keen to use him, but I now wonder if this is the right thing to do!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So, all you need to confirm is that your electrician is a member of a 'self-certification scheme'.

No, no, no - that is inadequate.

Pablo, as ever, personal recommendations are always the best way to find a reputable tradesman, but if you're having to go ahead without much in the way of those, or references, don't put any store by registration itself - sadly it is possible to become registered with woefully inadequate qualifications and zero practical experience. You don't have to spend long here to see people cropping up who are registered and "qualified", but who are clearly seriously incompetent in reality and who should not be charging for their services.

It's your money, and you have every right to ask prospective tradesmen what their qualifications are. Just being listed here is not a good enough guide. No genuinely experienced electrician, with the "full set" of C&G qualifications will mind you asking - in fact he will wish that everyone was like you.

Perhaps someone could summarise the lists of qualifications which a "proper" electrician "should" have? I say lists because they keep changing the numbers of the exams, and I can't remember what was current when.

I feel sorry for people who have been misled by training organisations and (shamefully) the Competent Person scheme organisers into thinking that a 5-day training course, a couple of trivial examples of their work and some basic understanding of how to use test equipment will make them an electrician, but not sorry enough to agree with them trying to sell their services to Joe Public.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The contractor I've appointed advised he adheres to chapter 17 and what not, and that he is going through the NICEIC process. However, he's not on their website.

So he is new, inexperienced, and there's a significant likelihood that he is inadequately qualified.

Due to his numerous positive ratings

From whom/where?

 

[Pablo79]

I appreciate this reply! It's very helpful.

I'm fairly new to the area and thus don't have that network of contacts to refer this info. Hence my search.

What if I chose someone who is already registered with NICEIC, for example, as I understand work by registered members is insured by the body for 6 years?

 

[Pablo79]

So he is new, inexperienced, and there's a significant likelihood that he is inadequately qualified.

He's not new, as I can see his small company has been trading for many years. He's just not with the body.

Due to his numerous positive ratings

From whom/where?

Rated people, as previously mentioned.

I appreciate this is probably not enough to go on. I have doubts, which is exactly why I'm here seeking advice.

 

[JohnW2]

Rated people, as previously mentioned. I appreciate this is probably not enough to go on. I have doubts, which is exactly why I'm here seeking advice.

As you will realise, I was just answering the question you actually asked, namely:

...I just want to know what I need to be looking for and what is essential for this work from a legal standpoint.

The question of whether the electrician is competent, as well as legally able to undertake and certify the work is a totally different matter, in relation to which we can do little to help you.

As BAS has implied, no amount of qualifications and memberships of organisations like NICEIC can guarantee competence - personal recommendations or (genuine) references are the only real guide to that. In theory, you can pursue an incompetent electrician through an organisation such as NICEIC of which they are a member - but it's a bit late if you have to do that, and I'm not convinced that the process is very effective.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Pablo79]

Ok, thanks John.

So, in my situation, what would you do?

 

[JohnW2]

Ok, thanks John. So, in my situation, what would you do?

Even if, as in your case, I was 'new to the area', I would first do all I possibly could to get some personal recommendations.

If that proved impossible, you could certainly, as BAS has suggested, ask for a list of his qualifications - but even that proves little. The world is full of examples of highly trained/qualified people who have nevertheless done incompetent, dangerous or criminal things. You could ask him to introduce you to people in the locality for whom he had recently undertaken work and then speak to them.

As I said before, from the 'legal'/financial point of view all that really matters is that the electrician should be a member of a self-certification scheme - and, from what you say, it sounds as if the one you've identified may not (yet) be.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Pablo79]

Righto! Well it's confirmed my doubts about the current guy so I'll put the stoppers on that. I'll see if I can get some recommendations.

Thanks for your time

 

[JohnW2]

Righto! Well it's confirmed my doubts about the current guy so I'll put the stoppers on that. I'll see if I can get some recommendations. Thanks for your time

You're welcome. As I said, if you can't get recommendations then the next best thing is probably to ask any electrician you identify to arrange contact with people in the locality for whom they've done work. If they are hesitant to put you in touch with such people, maybe you should wonder why!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Pablo79]

Righto! Well it's confirmed my doubts about the current guy so I'll put the stoppers on that. I'll see if I can get some recommendations. Thanks for your time

You're welcome. As I said, if you can't get recommendations then the next best thing is probably to ask any electrician you identify to arrange contact with people in the locality for whom they've done work. If they are hesitant to put you in touch with such people, maybe you should wonder why!

Kind Regards, John

This is why I went to rated people, and this person had 30-odd positive recommendations. However, that all important certification appears to be missing! It's odd because he did talk about certifying the work when it's done and submitting to building control etc.

Anyway, I'm sure I know someone who knows someone!