Electrical installations

Unauthorised Electrical WorkCertain aspects of electrical work such as adding a new circuit to a home, or replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit in a high risk area such as a kitchen or bathroom, or electrical installations to pond pumps, sheds, garages, conservatories, greenhouses and other detached buildings will be controlled by the requirements of the building regulations. The requirements require an application with the relevant fee to building control and arrange for inspections and testing of the work. Only electricians registered under the government's self-certification scheme will be qualified to undertake new electrical installations and certain aspects of maintenance in domestic dwellings without making an application to the Council's building control section.

 

Competent Person Scheme

It is in your best interests to use an electrician registered within the `Competent Person Scheme', which allows registered electricians to design, install and certify that their work is in compliance with the new regulations and issue a `Domestic Inspection Certificate' to the local Authority stating compliance has been met. The `Competent' electrician will have to be registered to a Government approved scheme of which a number have already been given approval. These are CORGI, ELECSA, NAPTOC, OFTEC, BRE Certification, British Standards Institution and Zurich Certification Ltd. There may be others who will be approved at a later date. Building control recommends this scheme as your preferred choice.

 

Enginner discussing the building regulationsCompetent electrician

Alternatively, if you do not use an electrician registered under the Competent Person Scheme, new electrical works should still be installed, inspected and tested by a 'competent electrician'. A 'competent electrician' is one who holds a City and Guilds 2380 or 2381 (16th Edition) certificate and a City and Guilds 2391 (Inspection, Testing and Certification) certificate and has experience of electrical installation work. The electrician may or may not be registered with a recognised trade body such as NICEIC, ECA or NAPIT, or registered under the Competent Person Scheme. A Building Control application and relevant fee will be required and copies of the appropriate BS7671 electrical installation and test certificates must be provided to Building Control by the competent electrician before a completion certificate can be issued.

 

Homeowners should be aware that if approval certificates are not obtained, the future sale of their property will be affected. In certain instances legal action could be taken and additional expense incurred by the householder in having a retrospective 'Property Inspection Report' carried out.  According to Government statistics, each year an average 10 people die and another 750 people are seriously injured in accidents involving unsafe electrical installations in the home. This new legislation is one of the Government's initiatives to help address this issue and further advice can be obtained from the Council's building control section.