How to first contact an electrician

[James_H]

Hello All

I'm after it bit more than suggesting opening the Yellow Pages and pick up the phone. The usual advice is to get recommendations and at least three quotes but the issues I have are:

I haven't been able to get any recommendations. Neighbours haven't needed electricians, neither have friends but work colleagues and family are too far away.
I'm not getting much response to the messages left so far.

I had gone to the NICEIC website to get a list of local Domestic Installers. I thought going with one of them would save the £230 building notice fee/tax for Part P. I could reasonably expect there to be £1000 of work but could the premium to pay for someone who can self-certify be more than the building control fee? I have read something like 80% of electricians are not part of any self-certification scheme so avoiding them would seriously cut down on choice.

One NICEIC spark that I had a response from insisted if he did the work, he would have to upgrade all downstairs sockets to be RCD protected, or he couldn't give an NICEIC certificate because it wouldn't be to their standard. I won't deny the additional safety benefit, but it's not the exact wording of the wiring regs and I wouldn't want the fridge on an RCD ring. Achieving the latter would mean an extra radial, with no CU space to do do.

Who can issue a BS7671 certificate? It surely doesn't have to be NICEIC-only?

Going through the phone directories, I think avoiding those trying to be at the front of the directory with names such as 111AAA or the type with promises of 1 hour call outs seems sensible. Single lines or smaller adverts would hopefully represent smaller outfits that may be better value?

Once called, chances are, the electrician's landline number will revert to an answering machine (hopefully if any good, he's likely to be out working during the day). How much detail should I leave? I consider myself relatively knowledgeable (compared to homeowners in general) for much (but not all) of what is needed for the job. I don't want to be too brief but don't want to bombard with detailed spec.

A question to any professional electricians on here is what do you want to hear? Obviously an outline of the works and timescales rather than an unhelpful "I'd like some electrical work, can you call me on xxx?". Would you prefer a voicemail on your home machine, to give time to consider a response (or whether to at all) or be called on your mobile if listed?

You cannot expect a quote over the phone but I don't want to waste people's time by getting lots of people to come around to quote, especially if the quotes turn out to be poor value. I've no aversion to paying a fair rate for decent work so is it worth giving that impression? I don't want to openly invite rip-offs but I could imagine electricians are reluctant to come out and quote if they think the homeowner will die of shock at any quote above minimum wage.

I live in south-west London near the Surrey border so there's plenty of competition but probably a fair share of cowboys or overpricers. Any tips on how to get someone decent and filter out the undesirables would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

James

 

[BenStiller]

Simple, If he has a moustache send him packing

 

[mrscalex]

Regardless of trade I tend to go for adverts in local weekly papers. On the basis these adverts must be renewed more frequently suggesting the tradesman does still want new business. It's also where newer tradesmen tend to advertise, again suggesting they would want your business.

You could also try going into your local independant electrical supplies store and asking. They tend to have close relationships with their trade customers. And in any case almost without fail there is a sparky or 2 waiting to be served in my local one everytime I'm in and you may even get a direct offer of help from them when they over hear.

 

[Diyisfun]

If you go into your local electrical retailer & ask him for recomendations, I am certain that they will give you some names of reputable people, they may even have there business card.

 

[bathjobby]

I lot of independent electrical retailers will not only sell you product but will also get them installed for you e.g. electric showers etc, so they have a 'reliable' source, but will probably want to sell you the equipment required !

 

[notb665]

Simple, If he has a moustache send him packing

Or if he drives with a hat on.

 

[sparkybird]

FYI - the NICEIC are failing Part P'ers for not installing and RCD on power circuits which could supply a piece of equipment outside the home eg lawnmower, vacuum for car. (ie downstairs sockets). The reasoning behind this it could save your life!

 

[plugwash]

the regs say feasiblly supply equipement outside the equipotential zone which is a very vague way of putting things

with 50m extention reels arround you could argue that it means all sockets should be rcd protected.

you could also argue that a socket hidden behind a fridge or freezer or of a type other than BS1363 is not going to be very feasible for supplying equipment outside the equipotential zone.

with regs saying things like that its difficult to know where to draw the line.

the niceic have taken matters into thier own hands and said all downstairs sockets. many belive that this is in many situations this is not the correct way to go

 

[andy]

FYI - the NICEIC are failing Part P'ers for not installing and RCD on power circuits which could supply a piece of equipment outside the home eg lawnmower, vacuum for car. (ie downstairs sockets). The reasoning behind this it could save your life!

but that would only apply if work was done on the downstairs sockets. i.e if you you install a smoke alarm circuit, they cant fail it for havin no rcd for the sockets

 

[sparkybird]

andrew2022 - you are quite right. Thanks for clarifying

The case I came across was where the board was changed over, although no work to sockets.

SB

 

[andy]

andrew2022 - you are quite right. Thanks for clarifying

The case I came across was where the board was changed over, although no work to sockets.

SB

not really sure about that. altho just about every CU installed these days have an RCD

 

[James_H]

Thanks for the suggestions. An independent electrical store seems to be the way to go.

As for the local paper, it could well be a reasonable place to find newly established tradespeople, but there are plenty stating their many years experience. They may charge plenty, if their experience isn't leading to a full diary from recommendations and repeat business.

Cheers,

James