Certificate for electric works

Axled

We recently had our kitchen replaced by a fitter. Happy with the work but am a bit concerned about the electrics. All of the workers were sourced by the kitchen fitter although were paid individually.

It now looks as though the electrician is not able to give us a certificate (is not registered with an approved body) to show that the work comes up to standard (part p?) despite being assured by the fitter on several occasions that all works would be up to current regulations. I am obviously at fault and was stupid not to ask for evidence but I didn't know anything about these requirements before the work and didn't know what to ask for.

We had a new consumer unit and a new kitchen and oven circuit put in so I have been told this is notifiable (not sure what this means). Could anyone tell me what I can do now to sort this problem out? I can't get hold of the electrician to clarify what this is all about. Is the certificate a physical thing or just something on an electric register that I would not see? I keep getting told different things by different people (aswell as being judged for my stupidity) but just need to figure out how I can resolve the problem. I have been told that it is illegal and I can be fined for this? is that true?

Sorry for the worried rant!

evoke

As of this month, you can hire the services of a registered third-party inspector who can sign off the electrical work as complying with Part P regulations and do the notifying to Building Control for you.

Prior to this month, you would have had to go to your local council's Building Control department to arrange for the electrics to be tested and certified.

Just call up Building Control in your local council and ask them exactly what you need to do. In summary you'll need to have the electrics tested and certified by them or by a third-party inspector.

Had your original electrician been registered as a competent person then he would have done the testing and certification on behalf of Building Control for you.

The 'certificate' is just a bit of paper that shows what tests were done and the results/measurements from those tests.

The one issue you might have is any remedial work required to bring the electrics into compliance with Part P regulations. You may have some come-back on this from the people who did the work originally,

Axled

Thank you very much for your answer. I will contact the local building control and see what they have to say about the 3rd party inspector. I was worried about the potential £5000 fine which doesn't sound very appealing. The electrician did do lots of testing afterwards (tested the old circuits would cut off correctly and went round to each plug) and so seemed very thorough so I didn't think too much of it at the time.

Thanks

keystone

Don't be misled there are TWO paper trials here.

Part P has nothing to do with work coming "up to a standard" thats compliance with Edn17 of BS7671 Wiring Regulations. When the work is done you will receive an Electrical Installation Certificate to say that the work complies. You get that directly from the sparks.

If the work is notifiable (such as that you have described) and the sparks is Part P registered he can self certify to LABC that the work done meets BS7671. You then get your Part P Certificate.

If the work is not notifiable then you just receive your Edn 17 paperwork on its own.

You cannot get another electrician to issue you with an EIC becuse that document certifies the full design installation and testing of the work. You can get another one to fully test the system and Issue you with an Electrical Installation Condition Report (used to be called a Periodic Inspection Repot) . The change to Part P allows the work (if all is compliant with Edn 17) to be notified to LABC by the person doing that testing.

What this means is that any old Tom !!!!!! or Harry can now do notifiable work and pay someone else to certify it and notify it. This may be what your contractors are banking on. Let them pay for it though - don't you dare pay for it yourself. Its a retrograde step IMO.

If you don't have your Part P paperwork then when you come to sell your buyer's solicitor will be a pain in the bum.

Cheers