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[meldrew21]

Hi there, this is the latest in a long-running saga. The guy who installed new consumer unit, fixed spurs, re-wired kitchen etc is only City and Guilds qualified. LABC state that he can't sign it off, he is adamant that he can. This leaves me in a difficult situation.

Any comments, please?

[meldrew21]

I should say that I've read Part P from planningportal.gov.uk and spoken to NICEIC so there is no question in my mind that he is stringing me along. I'm not sure how to put pressure on him to comply with regs.

[ericmark]

He can't sign a completion certificate he needs to be member of a scheme to do that. However he can sign the installation certificate. The latter you then submit to LABC to get completion certificate.

In real terms to have a C&G 2392 or C&G 2391 is far more important than to be registered as sorry to say with large firms electricians are often not qualified to the level they should be. But there are many C&G qualifications. C&G 2382 for example shows you can read the regulations. And although it is classed level 3 very easy to pass. But C&G 2391 has a very high failure rate and if they have that then they likely do know how to ensure the installation is safe.

[meldrew21]

Thanks, ericmark. This is a continuation of the saga you advised me on back in May. After tracking the guy down it turned out he's not a member of NICEIC as he advertised and didn't notify LABC of the work. Now he's gone back into his shell. So I'm off to LABC to get a post-installation inspection.

Not sure what was in it for him, if he'd discussed procedure with me I would have notified and paid costs. Now he's looking at a possible prosecution and loss of livelyhood. Anyway, I hope others will read this and be warned.

Thanks again for your advice.

[ericmark]

The LABC vary from county to county and some are very helpful. However unless some one on here knows other wise. Electricians have been prosecuted for sub-standard work and for saying they are member of a scheme when they are not.

However if work to standard and they did not have NICEIC or one of the others signs on van or paperwork then normally the council don't do anything.

The problem is if the electrician gives right answers then very hard to prove he has done something wrong.

I was talking to a builder who had been caught out. He had used the guy before but the guy had not renewed his membership. When the builder asked for completion certificate he said "thought the LABC was doing that" and said that since the other work would have required LABC involvement he had expected them to be doing the lot. Which to be fair had the builder told them he wanted the electrics including would likely have not cost he any more money.

I think the LABC since they are responsible for site safety should issue a permit to work in same way as done in industry. If they did this then doing notifiable work without a permit would be easy to prosecute as not work should be started without a permit. However the council are lazy and in most cases just give the installation a quick glance and charge loads of money for doing nothing. It is nothing more than a tax.

As a result electricians can get away with not notifying work. As long as they don't do anything wrong and done claim to be members of a scheme. However they can't really get away without issuing an installation certificate or minor works certificate.

As an industrial electrician I before 2004 often did the odd domestic job. But since 2004 the cost of becoming a member of a scheme means it's not worth doing the odd domestic it's either all or nothing. I did get caught out when law first came in. I would go to do a simple job which did not require notification and once I had started would find there was other work required. Under Part P any electrician can do emergency work and post notify. And I could honestly say it was unforeseen emergency work. And often I would complete my paperwork and the house holder would then take this to LABC. But it was too much hassle having to attend if the LACB inspector wanted to inspect. So no longer do I do domestic. However I do realise there was genuine reasons for not notifying before job started and of course had any of those house holders not taken the paper work to LABC for the rubber stamp I would never know. They did not visit all work done.