How to Choose a good Electrician

05/01/18 Posted By:Admin

You may feel this is a strange post to start off the year, but I thought it was a useful guidance on how to ensure that when you are looking for electrical work to be carried out in your home, you do end up with a “rogue” electrician potentially leading to unsafe work and a risk to your property or worse, your family's safety.

Whilst the statutory requirements for electrical work is different in England and Wales from those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, if you are looking for electrical work you should seek out a registered electrician. Sadly, it’s the case that there are a small minority of rogue tradespeople who cut corners and do not deliver the service they’re being paid for. Not only are they ripping people off but they may be leaving householders with dangerous, sub-standard electrics in their homes.

To help you spot rogues before you trust them to start work, we've put together a list of warning signs to watch out for. 

 

Beware who you pick.

10 rogue electrician warning signs:

• Avoids giving references.
• Only supplies a mobile number and has no address on their letterhead/business card.
• Will do the job ‘cheaper for cash’ so as the customer avoids paying the VAT.
• Says they can start tomorrow – registered electricians are usually booked up in advance.
• Will not confirm anything in writing.
• Tells the customer they are approved by an organisation that has never heard of them.
• Tells the customer not to worry about the details of the job.
• Confuses the customer with jargon and complicated explanations.
• Cannot give a specific cost for materials or labour.
• Provides a surprisingly low quote – if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

Although it may be tempting to go with an unknown who offers a cut price deal and can start straight away, there are far too many cases of professional electricians being called in to undo bad work, leading to more expense and longer delays than if they had gone with the professional in the first place. 

 

Electrical safety in rented homes

All landlords have a legal duty to make sure the wiring in rented homes is safe. Any electrical appliances they provide must be safe to use. This applies if you are a private, housing association or council tenant.

Your landlord should arrange regular basic safety checks for the electrics and appliances such as cookers, washing machines and fridges.

Your landlord can arrange for an electrical inspection by a qualified electrician before you move in.

If you live in a shared house your landlord must have an inspection carried out every five years.

Electrical appliances that have been checked by an electrician should have a PAT (portable appliance test) sticker on the plug. This shows the date it was tested. If you are a landlord and wish to speak to a registered electrician, you can contact us here.

 

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