Signing off....

[dabomb3k]

hi guys, about a year ago I qualified as a sparky, and also got my domestic installer qualification, but the job I'm now doing is repairing equipment in a commercial setting, the company I work for isn't registered with any competent person scheme but I am getting a lot of requests from friends and family to do different jobs for them,

As usual a lot of these jobs are things like putting in a shower or a consumer unit change, or a new ring main to be put in...

My question is, as I do not have or work for a company what options do I have for doing this work for them? Registering with elecsa (cheaper than niceic) was gonna be an option if I did a lot of side jobs but it seems to require a business, and I don't know how they would assess me when it's not my day to day job??

What other options do I have that don't cost an arm and a leg, my local council charge £240 plus the Norma rate for notifying them of work and having them assess, so I would price myself out of most jobs factoring that in...

Thanks a lot in advance

 

[adam1984]

Stroma are £288 per year to be a member of a CPS - by far the cheapest out there.

 

[ericmark]

There are 1000's of electricians in the same boat. Before 2004 when we had floods it was common for industrial electricians to do repairs in houses getting the house ready for re-occupancy very quickly. Today when something goes wrong like floods it's often a case of a 6 month waiting list for repairs to be completed.

The situation has resulted in more and more DIY where industrial electricians turn down the work. As to if this is good or not it's hard to say. Working in industry my over time wages were far in excess to what any home owner was willing to pay. So if there was an option of over time the domestic job had to wait. There was also the point if you did not do the over time when offered it would be offered next time to some one else so one had to say yes.

Working in Sizewell construction for Laing was interesting. We would get people coming in asking if anyone did foreigners and we would direct them to one guy who had been running his own business and still did the odd job and was still vat registered. However as soon as we said he was vat registered the people lost interest. They wanted a super cheap job and expected what is often called mates rate i.e. paid by buying you a couple of pints. So the amount of work that seemed to be there was not what was really there.

My son at one time was a sole trader and making a good living as an electrician. However now he says how he would not return to that work one as it did not pay as well as working for an industrial employer when one looked at annual income and two it was boring compared with industrial work. One day running in new cable the next programming a PLC.

Give it a couple of years you will not want to do work as a foreigner it's just too much hassle. You would not believe how many people do not want to pay you. They assume you will not do anything as you don't want the tax man finding out what you are doing. I have lost too many friends doing foreigners now I will not even consider them.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Stroma are £288 per year to be a member of a CPS - by far the cheapest out there.

Do not forget that, on top of the membership cost, you will need other obligatory items that your CPS will expect you to have.
These include:

Public liability insurance
Professional indemnity insurance
A full set of test equipment kept in calibration
Up to date copies of BS7671, GS38, Part P, and others (some of these are free, not all!)
At least one day a year to go through assessment (so add your daily rate + tea + biscuits)

 

[dabomb3k]

Stroma are £288 per year to be a member of a CPS - by far the cheapest out there.

Do not forget that, on top of the membership cost, you will need other obligatory items that your CPS will expect you to have.
These include:

Public liability insurance
Professional indemnity insurance
A full set of test equipment kept in calibration
Up to date copies of BS7671, GS38, Part P, and others (some of these are free, not all!)
At least one day a year to go through assessment (so add your daily rate + tea + biscuits)

This was my concern, ask obviously won't have the public liability etc as I don't have my own business, I was hoping I could register to a scheme to sign it off, I could attend an assessment once a year and then just make sure I get more than £300 worth of foreigners a year...

I have part p, 17th edition and All the trimmings but Sadly it doesn't seem to be of any use and stupidly seems to be a rather pointless skill to have unless your in that direct sector of the trade and air of people are in the same boat..


You would think that there would be some sort of company that you can register with for this exact purpose and pay yearly for them covering you and assessing you.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Yes you must first make sure you meet the criteria of the scheme provider, some ask for different quals before you join and some are happy for you to acquire those quals within a probationary period.
As well as having the desired library of publications such as BS7671, Part P and EAWR also the PLI, they rarely ask for PII.
They do expect you to be operating as a business, but you can declare yourself as a sole trader. And you will have to have some on-site evidence to show them , that will be a notified job, so you may have to pay a notification fee for at least one job, some ask for two jobs. So lots to think about before you start.

And your first assessment may take two months after registering and in that time you can not self notify.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Unfortunately it does not work like that. The schemes are set up and strictly regulated by the DCLG. This allows the schemes to authorise competent elecricians to carry out work and to notify it as being compliant.
For this reason, all of the schemes have a "bottom line" that they cannot go below, or they would not meet DCLG's requirements. (Some of the schemes set much, much higher requirements).
In any case, it isn't fair on those who do invest properly and subscribe to CPS membership, for there to be a cheapo backdoor option (otherwise everybody would do just that).

You may find this interesting
CPS Schemes, conditions

Oh and PS, I would not let you within 5 miles of my house, to do work, if you are not properly insured.

 

[Taylortwocities]

they rarely ask for PII.

They do if you are carrying out work, such as EICRs, where you are using your Professional judgement to determine the condition of an installation.

 

[EFLImpudence]

This was my concern, ask obviously won't have the public liability etc as I don't have my own business,

A business is just you.

I have part p,

What is that?

17th edition and All the trimmings but Sadly it doesn't seem to be of any use and stupidly seems to be a rather pointless skill to have unless your in that direct sector of the trade and air of people are in the same boat..

???

You would think that there would be some sort of company that you can register with for this exact purpose and pay yearly for them covering you and assessing you.

Isn't that what the schemes are?

 

[dabomb3k]

Yes you must first make sure you meet the criteria of the scheme provider, some ask for different quals before you join and some are happy for you to acquire those quals within a probationary period.
As well as having the desired library of publications such as BS7671, Part P and EAWR also the PLI, they rarely ask for PII.
They do expect you to be operating as a business, but you can declare yourself as a sole trader. And you will have to have some on-site evidence to show them , that will be a notified job, so you may have to pay a notification fee for at least one job, some ask for two jobs. So lots to think about before you start.

And your first assessment may take two months after registering and in that time you can not self notify.

Thanks that's a lot of help..

This was my concern, ask obviously won't have the public liability etc as I don't have my own business,

A business is just you.

You would think that there would be some sort of company that you can register with for this exact purpose and pay yearly for them covering you and assessing you.

Isn't that what the schemes are?

I have part p,
What is that?

I simply meant I'm up to date with all requirements and publications of a domestic installer to comply with part p.. bit pedantic..


That's exactly what my original post is asking, if I need to have or be part of a business that is registered with a scheme. Was simply enquiring as to what you guys do.

In any case, it isn't fair on those who do invest properly and subscribe to CPS membership, for there to be a cheapo backdoor option (otherwise everybody would do just that).

You may find this interesting
CPS Schemes, conditions

Oh and PS, I would not let you within 5 miles of my house, to do work, if you are not properly insured.

Yea I guess when you put it like that it isn't fair, just a shame it's so costly to put your skills to use, I'm not looking for a backdoor or or to do things uninsured and start my own business, just family (for example my cousin asked me just yesterday to put a shower in for her) who I have declined as I wouldn't dream of doing it in any kind of "cowboy" route. But it got me to thinking of the best way that I may be able to say "yes" to these people in the future and what is the cheapest "legal" and right way to go about it

Apologies if it came across like I was trying to look for some sort of back handed way in or tread on anyone's toes who's registered, I'm quite happy with the job I got, I would never want to do domestic stuff day in day out but sometimes it would be nice to be able to help family out whilst still complying with requirements

 

[EFLImpudence]

Well, you either pay the BC a couple of hundred pounds for each notifiable job or register with a scheme for three to five hundred pounds annually.

As far as tools, equipment and insurance are concerned, you would need that anyway, wouldn't you?

 

[dabomb3k]

As far as tools, equipment and insurance are concerned, you would need that anyway, wouldn't you?

I have the relevant calibrated test equipment and tools, just would obviously need insurance etc

Looks like registering as a sole trader would be better than paying £250 per job, U would make your money back within 2 jobs if registered..


Thanks for all the replies its food for thought anyway, seemingly that I might as well just work overtime in my job and decline to help family with the odd jobs that aren't worth all the hassle of everything that goes with it lol

 

[Taylortwocities]

Have a look at the WIKI
//www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:part_p:DIY-Electrical-Work-and-the-Law
and you will see that not much work now requires notification.

Your shower and its new circuit is unfortunately out, but most general electrical work in England is no longer notifiable.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

they rarely ask for PII.

They do if you are carrying out work, such as EICRs, where you are using your Professional judgement to determine the condition of an installation.

Never been asked to produce mine, on any assessment I have had or at any other time to my scheme provider.

 

[Taylortwocities]

NAPIT does