Question for baldelectrician!

yaubelle

Hello,

You may recall I posted a message asking the cost or rewiring a 2 bed flat in west london.

I've been quoted £60 per socket by one electrician and £80 per socket point by another (including cost of materials). Does this sound reasonable?

One guy was Polish and said he could provide numbers of previous clients for me to talk to about his work and he would give me the necessary certificates once the job was completed.

I assume electricians have to be registered to an organisation the way gas engineers have to be Corgi registered? What would the organisation be for electricians?

The Polish guy is coming on Monday, and I have a couple of other electricians lined up to give quotes as well. What should I look out for and what questions should I ask to try and find a good one? Also in a kitchen, how many separate ring circuits should I have (am I making sense?).

Hope you can help me, many thanks in advance,

Lisa

thechippy

yaubelle wrote: »

Hello,

You may recall I posted a message asking the cost or rewiring a 2 bed flat in west london.

I've been quoted £60 per socket by one electrician and £80 per socket point by another (including cost of materials). Does this sound reasonable?

One guy was Polish and said he could provide numbers of previous clients for me to talk to about his work and he would give me the necessary certificates once the job was completed.

I assume electricians have to be registered to an organisation the way gas engineers have to be Corgi registered? What would the organisation be for electricians?

The Polish guy is coming on Monday, and I have a couple of other electricians lined up to give quotes as well. What should I look out for and what questions should I ask to try and find a good one? Also in a kitchen, how many separate ring circuits should I have (am I making sense?).

Hope you can help me, many thanks in advance,

Lisa

At the very least the electricians need to be "part p" qualified. I would be suprised if the Polish guy is. Also, how long before he goes back to Poland? What if something he does is wrong and he's no longer here to put it right?
Ringmains depend on the property, it's normal to have a seperate ring main for upstairs and downstairs, the kitchen is quite often included in the downstairs ring. An electric cooker point however, will have it's own dedicated supply.
Can't comment on the costs as it depends how many sockets you have and how difficult the cable runs are.
For safety, I'd stick to using a fully qualifed UK resident - I wouldn't use the Polish guy. Our safety regs are much more stringent than in other countries. For example - I wouln't want Spanish wiring in my house!!

baldelectrician

I would ask them what they suggest, and note down their answers

You are looking for
smoke detectors
gas and water bonding
seperate ring circuit for kitchen
member of a regulatory body (and check them online - it might be prudent to get the guys name)
Outside lights
outlets for appliances behind appliance with a seperate switch obove worktop (I use GRID switches- it looks a lot better)
Ask where they did their apprenticeship, and how long their company has been working.
Ask for references
Make sure the BS7671 certification and Part P (not Scotland) certificate is included in the price

Steve_the_fitter

If you're getting a re-wire you are best getting one ring for downstairs and a seperate ring for the kitchen. On top of a seperate kitchen ring you may need a radial to your cooker, depending on the size

yaubelle

Thank-you very much for your replies which are all very helpful.

I shall make a list of all the advice I've received and put it into action when I face them next week!!

I now have a much better idea whereas before I had absolutely no clue!

Lisa