What Would Happen?

[pimpdaddydog123]

I am a fully qualified electrician aged 63, during my career I have worked mostly in industry particuarly in the oil and gas industry.

During my semi-retirement I do small electrical jobs in the doemstic sector focussing on things like replacement lights, socket outlets and dealing with issues like RCDs that won't stay in ect.

I am not registered with any schemes because I don't want to be but I do have 2392 and can (and do occasionally) do EICRs and I am capable of testing any installtion work.

One of my customers has just asked if I can replace a consumer unit in his house, I explained that I can't becaue I am not Part P registered then he asked a question.

What would actually happen if you did?

What if I did fit a new consumer unit, did the required testing and inspection of the exisiting installation and produced an EIC?

Who would even know and if they did find out later what would actually happen to me and/or the householder?

Thanks chaps!

 

[pete01]

As long as you're insured you can do it, only problem is it wouldn't be notified to the council, but you can do it direct for about £200 I think.

 

[pete01]

This is the brummie version its actually £255, but as you probably don't have loads of overheads etc you might be able to stay competitive.

https://acivicogroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Part-P-Electrical-Work-Form-2020.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

[ebee]

It’s not that you “can’t do it” or even that you may not do it but you can (may) do it but you are obliged to follow the correct route regarding notifications etc - the intention behind that is to ensure safety and compliance.
The reality of how that works in practice I will not comment about.

 

[Murdochcat]

Sounds like you are charging for your time. What insurance do you have in place for your clients?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Pimp. When your customer comes to sell the house that’s when things come to a stop. The buyer’s solicitor will want to see the notification of compliance with building regulations for the consumer unit change.
He/she will probably have to pay for an indemnity insurance or the sale will not proceed They might also think that all of the electrical installation is suspect.

 

[ericmark]

I have notified LABC did not pay fee as work was due to a disability, but system is the same, in Wales you pay £100 plus vat, and if they think you have the skill, you submit the installation certificate, and the LABC issues a completion certificate based on your installation certificate.

The problem for me was to get the LABC inspector to allow me to do the inspection and testing on the installation certificate, I could sign for design and installation, but they wanted me to pay for an electrician of their selection to do the inspection and testing.

So what we are looking at, is the cost to use LABC, and if they will accept your qualifications, both my son and I had C&G2391, but they would not accept that, don't think they knew what it was, however they did accept my degree, which was daft really, but this shows how hard it is to work out what they will accept.

For a whole house rewire, going down the LABC route may work out, but for just a CU, it means one becomes non-competitive with prices.

 

[morqthana]

At sale stage, I'd say the seller should front it out.

Yes, I had the CU replaced by a qualified electrician - here's the electrical cert.

No, I did not notify Building Control.

Do you want the house or not?


Indemnity insurance policies are a total con, and are there to earn a few quid commission for solicitors. They provide cover against financial losses arising from a local authority issuing an enforcement notice under Section 36 of the Building Act 1984, which allows a council to require works to be altered or removed if they contravene building regulations.

Assuming that the only contravention is failure to notify, what are the council going to require to be altered or removed?

Plus the policies don't pay a penny towards any remedial work if it is needed.

building regulations indemnity insurance - Bing

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[flameport]

I explained that I can't becaue I am not Part P registered then he asked a question.

There is no requirement for someone to be registered with a Part P scheme. Anyone can replace a consumer unit or do any other notifiable work such as replacing windows, altering underground drainage or relocating a bathroom, etc.
The law requires that such things are notified to Building Control. Competent persons schemes exist to provide a cheaper and easier option for those who do such things regularly. For everyone else, you either submit a building notice or full plans and pay whatever the LABC fee in your area is. Exactly the same as if doing any other notifiable work.

What would actually happen if you did?

If you notify LABC and install the consumer unit, nothing will happen other than your wallet will have several £100s less in it. You might get a piece of paper to confirm it was notified.
If you don't notify and install the consumer unit then the home owner is technically breaking the law and theoretically enforcement action could be taken.
A few people have been prosecuted for non-notifcation, but only because the work was so shoddy and dangerous that people were seriously injured or killed. The non-notification was just bundled in with the other charges because it could be.

In reality, such a lack of notification would typically only be discovered when the property was up for sale and someone conducted the usual searches to see what works had been notified and those are then compared to what works have been done at the property.
Some legal types might then convince someone to pay for a spurious 'indemnity policy' which in reality covers nothing and achieves even less.