Gas and Electriity safety cert

EdinburghSusan

Hi
We are having a kitchen installed by IKEA. Fitters are subcontracted. I've just been presented with a bill for various extras, including £50 each for a gas and electricity certificate.

I queried this - and said I didn't need a certificate. Builder said it was mandatory, and part of the regulations. I've googled and can't find any information, other than certificates for landlords. My house is a private dwelling which I live in with my family.

I can't see how they can charge £100 to basically certifiy that the work they've done meets regulations - when surely it should anyway? I'm confused - can anyone shed any light on this?

phill99

IKEA are correct and doing you a favour. The fact that it is a private dwelling house is irrelevant. When gas or electrical work, especially in kitchens is undertaken, it is essential that you know the work is done to current regulation standards. They are issuing, effectively, Installation certificates that proves correct installation. As a result there will be a paper trail and, importantly, accountability for the work. This means that if there is a problem, the installer can be traced.


If you ever sell the house, these certificates will be required by solicitors.


Whether they should charge you £50 for them is another issue.

Hoploz

It's a method of self certification showing compliance with current council building regulations.

DRP

phill99 wrote: »

IKEA are correct and doing you a favour. The fact that it is a private dwelling house is irrelevant. When gas or electrical work, especially in kitchens is undertaken, it is essential that you know the work is done to current regulation standards. They are issuing, effectively, Installation certificates that proves correct installation. As a result there will be a paper trail and, importantly, accountability for the work. This means that if there is a problem, the installer can be traced.


If you ever sell the house, these certificates will be required by solicitors.


Whether they should charge you £50 for them is another issue.

But:

1) Should it be an extra? It should have been included in the original quote.

2) As a homeowner do you actually have to have them? OR rather, can the fitters force you to buy the certificates from them?

rach_k

Was it definitely not included in the price? We've just received our Ikea quote and it includes 'Electrical Test Certificate' and 'Gas Safe Engineer' in the price - whether the gas bit includes a certificate it doesn't say!

phill99

DRP wrote: »

But:

1) Should it be an extra? It should have been included in the original quote.

2) As a homeowner do you actually have to have them? OR rather, can the fitters force you to buy the certificates from them?

1) I can't answer whether it should be an extra. Some people charge extra, some include it. There are no hard and fast rules.


2) As a homeowner, why would you NOT want them? Why would you not want to have proof that potentially dangerous installations have been undertaken to agreed national standard by people who are trained and certified in what they do. If you didn't have them, then Stevie Wonder and David Blunkett could do your installation. What an absolutely bizarre question.

southcoastrgi

A part p electrician can do the work & all that may be required is a minor works cert & this should have been inc in the fitting cost, as long as the person doing the gas work in the kitchen is Gas Safe registered that's all you need, you don't need a cert for any of the gas work, they could reg the hob with gas safe for which you would get a cert from building control but this is £2-50 if they do it on-line so hardly £50

EdinburghSusan

Thanks everyone

Just checked with a conveyancing solicitor, and basically it is only required if we need a building warrant, which we don't. That's in Scotland - rules may be different elsewhere.

I don't want them - because I expect the work to be of reasonable standard without certification - and they cost £100 - which is extradinoarily expensive for a workman to fill out a piece of paper which says his work is okay - surely it should be okay anyway!!

TheCyclingProgrammer

southcoastrgi wrote: »

A part p electrician can do the work & all that may be required is a minor works cert & this should have been inc in the fitting cost, as long as the person doing the gas work in the kitchen is Gas Safe registered that's all you need, you don't need a cert for any of the gas work, they could reg the hob with gas safe for which you would get a cert from building control but this is £2-50 if they do it on-line so hardly £50

I'm fairly certain an competent electrician could do the work without needing to be part of a Part P certification scheme unless they were installing a new circuit, as kitchen work is generally not notifiable. OP is in Scotland anyway so don't think it even applies.

brightontraveller

EdinburghSusan wrote: »

Thanks everyone

Just checked with a conveyancing solicitor, and basically it is only required if we need a building warrant, which we don't. That's in Scotland - rules may be different elsewhere.

I don't want them - because I expect the work to be of reasonable standard without certification - and they cost £100 - which is extradinoarily expensive for a workman to fill out a piece of paper which says his work is okay - surely it should be okay anyway!!

What you expect and what others may insist upon vary greatly?
The difference is you have a piece of paper that says it done correctly ? If subsequently found to not be so your !!!! is covered? Ditto if you sell or need to make a insurance claim etc

Try saying to an insurance company/ future buyer etc “The works are all fine they were done by Ikea ? That’s not the same as I have a cert to prove the works were all done correctly? Too be honest in comparison of the kitchen cost and if you wanted to get a gas engineer or electrician to sign of for whatever reason in the future you’d pay far more I’’d say pay it and enjoy your kitchen ?

Risteard

I don't agree that work "especially in a kitchen" is dangerous. A kitchen is not a special location in the Wiring Regulations.

As for the Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate, the issuance of this is a mandatory requirement of the Wiring Regulations and as such it is not in any way optional. So just because you don't feel you need it does not give you a right to not receive it. Inspection, testing and certification is an absolute requirement of BS7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations).

Even if the work is not subject to a Building Warrant etc. certification is still mandatory to comply with BS7671:2008 (2015).