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What is Part P ?
Part P is a part of the Building Regulations which has been introduced by government and affects all electrical work carried out in dwellings.
People carrying out electrical work in homes and gardens in England and Wales should follow the rules set out in Part P of the Building Regulations to ensure that they are complying with the law. These rules are designed to ensure that electrical work is safe.
Why has Part P been introduced ?
Part P has been introduced in order to:
- reduce the number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by faulty electrical installations
- make life harder for 'cowboys' to leave electrical installations in an unsafe condition
What is a Competent Person ?
A 'Competent Person' is a firm that has been approved by one of the government-
A registered firm is not required to notify a building control body of its proposals to carry out electrical installation work before it begins, or to have the work inspected on completion. This reduces costs for the customer as the additional charges for calling out a building control body can be avoided.
If a firm wishes to become a Competent Person it must first be vetted to ensure it meets the conditions of registration, including the required levels of competence. The minimum standard of technical competence required is as follows:
- Electrical work in dwellings is designed, installed, inspected and tested to the standard required by BS 7671
- Applicants for a Part P Competent Person Scheme are assessed annually to be able to work to these standards
Why should I use a Competent Person ?
A firm registered as a ‘competent person’:
- Can deal with all the new rules for you.
- Is qualified to carry out electrical work to BS 7671, the national safety standard
- Will give you a certificate to confirm their work follows the new rules
Using a ‘competent person’ ensures that:
- You do not have to pay Building Control charges
- You have the option of taking out an insurance-
backed guarantee for the work - You have access to a formal complaints procedure if you are not happy with the work
If you decide against using a registered firm to carry out any work for you, bear in mind the following points:
There is no guarantee that the electrical installation is safe
- Unsafe electrics could invalidate any insurance claim
- You will have no official record of the work you’ve had carried out
- You may have difficulty selling your home if you do not have the right electrical safety certificates
- Your local authority’s Building Control Department may insist that you put right any faulty work
Failing to comply with the Building Regulations is a criminal offence; however, registration with a Competent Person scheme is not compulsory. If you decide to use a firm that has not registered as a Competent Person, you must ensure that the firm has submitted notification of the work and arranged for it to be inspected and certified by your local authority's Building Control Department on completion.
Type of work requiring notification to your local authority's Building Control department...
- New installation, rewire or partial rewire
- New consumer unit
- One or more new circuits
- Electrical work in a kitchen or bathroom or any room containing bath or shower, swimming pool, sauna
- Main/supplementary equipotential bonding
- Heating (central heating/room heating/hot water/boiler/controls)
- Air conditioning/ventilation system/extractor fan
- Shower (electrically heated or pumped)
- Cooker
- Fire/security/environmental control system
- Vertical lift or stair lift
- Electric floor/ceiling heating
- Garden lighting/power
- Generator
For more information visit www.electricalsafetyregister.co.uk
