Ensure You Use A Qualified Electrician
Research from house builder David Wilson Homes reveals that more than 50% of UK householders have carried out somesort of DIY project in the last 12 months. And for many of us, doing it ourselves is a great way to improve our homes at a fraction of the cost. But there’s one area that really is best left to the experts – and that’s the electrics.
Who is NICEIC?
Electricity can be fatal so it’s always best to call in the professionals – just to be on the safe side. But in the UK, there are no formal, statutory qualifications to become an electrician – although ‘industry recognised’ credentials (like a level three diploma in electrotechnical services) are essential.
So, how can you, as a consumer be sure that you’re hiring someone who actually knows what they’re doing? Well, that’s where the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) comes in.
The NICEIC is the UK’s largest organisation regulating the electrical industry (another group is the Electrical Contractors’ Association, ECA). Electricians don’t have to be NICEIC registered, but if they are, their work is regularly assessed. That means you can be confident about hiring a professional who’ll carry out electrical work that meets technical and safety requirements.
The NICEIC have a number of schemes that members can choose to take part in, including:
- NICEIC approved contractor – members with this certification meet NICEIC standards in a number of different types of electrical work, including installations in commercial and domestic buildings.
- NICEIC domestic installer – members meet the standards needed to install electrics in homes and private properties.
- Portable appliance testing (PAT) – checking that workplace electrical equipment meets health and safety requirements.
Why hire an accredited electrician?
If you’re having any major building work done at home, you’ll need to meet something called the Part P requirement of building regulations – this makes sure that any electrics are safe to use. The official Part P wording says:
“Reasonable provis
ion shall be made in the design and installation of electrical installations in order to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury”.
A registered NICEIC electrician can certify their own work and give you a certificate that confirms what they’ve done meets standards. If you don’t use a registered electrician, electrical work like a house re-wire or installation of a new circuit, will need to be signed off by the building control team of your local council.
Why choose a NICEIC registered electrician?
Because NICEIC electricians can certify their own work, you save time and money – which can be of the essence if you’re renovating or building your own home. But more importantly, you can trust that any work done will be fit for purpose and safe to use.
Barton Electrical are proud to be part of the NICEIC
At Barton Electrical, we take electrical safety seriously and we’re pleased to be members of the NICEIC and registered as an:
- NICEIC approved contractor
- NICEIC domestic installer
We’re also able to carry out appliance (PAT) testing for any local businesses.
As well as ensuring the electrics in your home and business are safe, we offer a range of other services too – from electric car charging to installing a smart home system. But whether you’re making big changes or just need some friendly and helpful advice, contact us at Barton Electrical to see how we can help.
Call us on 01473 741320, email us at info@bartonelectrical.net or drop us a note using our contact form.