So, why use a qualified electrician?

The UK has always had a huge DIY culture. It is not even always about saving costs. People often enjoy learning new skills not to mention the satisfaction of getting the job done.

So lots of electrical jobs around the home must be pretty simple? Surely as long as you turn the electricity off at the mains first and check what you’ve done, it will be fine? Wrong!

The Electrical Safety Council carried out a survey which found that 32% of respondents had received an electric shock while carrying out DIY electrical work. More worryingly there are 12.500 electrical fires every year across the UK which are largely contributed to by incompetent electrical work. On average each year there are 10 deaths and 750 serious injuries caused by faulty electrical work.

We now rely on electrical goods more than ever. Not just in every room of the house but in the garden, garage and shed too. This all led to the government introducing electrical safety rules into the building regulations for England and Wales in 2005. This is known as Part P.

The easiest way to make sure your electrical work complies is to use a fully qualified and registered electrician such as Barton Electrical. We are NICEIC approved (The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) so you can trust our ability to carry out your electrical work for you.

As well as the safety aspects, there are a number of other reasons why you should use a qualified electrician instead of going down the DIY route such as:

Law

It is a criminal offence for homeowners and landlords to be unable to prove that all electrical installation work meets Part P.  Local authorities can make you remove or alter any work that does not meet the building regulations or you could face a fine of up to £5,000.

Problems Selling Your Home

If you can’t prove that your electrical work has been carried out in accordance with the building regulations, you may have trouble selling your home.  A registered electrician will provide you with a certificate to confirm all regulations have been met.

Home Insurance

In the event of a fire caused by faulty electrics that don’t comply with building regulations, there is a strong chance that your home insurance will not pay up.

So how do you choose the right electrician?

The best way to check that your electrician is competent is to make sure that they are registered with either National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC), Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) or National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT).  Your electrician should also have valid public liability insurance.

It is also a good idea to consider recommendations and reputation.  Barton Electrical are proud of our strong reputation as a trusted Ipswich electrician and our customers often recommend us to their friends, colleagues and families.

The bottom line is that when the safety of yourself, your family and your home are at risk, why take any chances!  If you have any electrical needs or queries, please get in touch and we will be happy to help.