Choosing an electrician

Hiring an electrician can be quite daunting, especially if it’s a big job and you have to put your trust in one you haven’t used before. By following the simple suggestions below however, you will protect yourself and significantly reduce the risk of employing somebody riddled with incompetence.

Electricians carrying out work in England and Wales have to comply with Part P of the building regulations; whereas those working in Scotland need to comply with the Building Standards System (Northern Ireland on the other hand is yet to introduce an equivalent statutory requirement). Therefore you need to make sure that you employ someone who is familiar with the regulations of your country.

Unless the work is minor, I would recommend getting in touch with at least 3 different electricians and, being as specific about the job as possible, ask for a specification and quote in writing (if its not in writing it doesn’t exist!). Also remember to ask for references - a good electrician shouldn’t hesitate to offer them.

Ensure that they are approved either by the government or a recognised organisation such as the NICEIC. It is also definitely worth contacting the organisation to confirm affiliation and, for that extra peace of mind, confirm that they also have Public Liability Insurance and that they offer an Insurance Backed Warranty. The Public Liability Insurance guarantees that, should injury or damage due to their work occur, you will be duly compensated. This includes legal fees, costs, expenses and any hospital treatment. The Insurance Backed Warranty ensures that you are protected for the next 6 years if any work is found to be incompliant with the necessary Building Regulations and the contractor is no longer in business. For this reason it is very important that you ask the electrician for the Part P certificate on completion of the work as it will have the warranty details on the back.

Electrician Check List
Able to comply to Building Regulations?	Yes	No
Specification and quote given in writing?	Yes	No
Able to supply references?	Yes	No
Approved by the government or recognised organisation?	Yes	No
Confirmed Public Liability Insurance?	Yes	No
Confirmed Insurance Backed Warranty?	Yes	No

Right, so you have found your electrician and are ready to have him start work on your home. There is however a few pointers which I suggest you follow before allowing them into your home. Firstly agree on a timetable and ensure that you get an estimated date of completion in writing. Consider the size of the job, if you expect it to take more than just a few days, insist that they give you regular updates and inform you immediately of any changes to the completion date.

Some electricians will expect that the cost of the materials to be paid for up front and, depending on how large the job is, they might even have to ask for staggered payments as the work progresses. So make sure you agree on the terms before they commence work to ensure no surprises down the line. And when you make a payment, steer clear of paying by cash. Rather pay by cheque or bank transfer so that both you and your electrician have a record of your payments – AND DON’T FORGET TO ASK FOR ALL CORRESPONDING STATEMENTS AND RECEIPTS!

During the work you will need to refrain from making changes unless you really need to. Chopping and changing once the work has begun can potentially cost you big bucks and will obviously cause a delay on the completion date. If you do decide to make a change, your electrician will expect the request to be made in writing as it will protect him from future claims that he didn’t keep to the schedule/quote he issued. Be sure to keep a copy of this request for your own records.

If you have any questions or concerns about the work the electrician is doing, don’t hesitate to raise the matter with them. You are the client and they are there in your home to give you a service which you are paying for – make sure you get your money’s worth! Once you have made clear exactly what you want done they should either comply or give a good reason why they cant. And if the reason they give doesn’t satisfy you, or they simply refuse to play ball, contact the organisation they are approved by. They will be able to advise you and mediate between both parties in order to reach a resolution. If you have problems with an electrician who isn’t a part of an organisation, try calling Citizens advice on: 0854040506 or visit either www.adviceguide.org.uk or www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Once the work has been completed and the time has come to pay your electrician, make sure to ask for an electrical installation certificate. This certificate verifies that the work carried out meets the UK Safety Standard: BS 7671 and should be provided regardless of the size of the job. If the electrical work was carried out in compliance to building regulations (remember this is Part P in England/Whales and Building Standards in Scotland) you should obtain another certificate to validate that the work meets applicable regulations.

On receipt of any certificate, make sure that you file it away safely as you will need to present it as evidence to prospective buyers to show that the work was carried out in accordance to the building regulations.