A: Whenever a approved electrician completes any form of electrical installation work on your home, a form of certification must be provided.

Whether you’re installing a new oven, an air conditioner or replacing your switchboard or light switches, you will need a safety certificate from your approved electrician.

A: You CAN do electrical work yourself under Part P You do NOT need to get a registered electrician to verify it. For some types of work (notifiable jobs), you need to notify Buildings Control (and pay a fee) . They will then inspect the work at first and second fix.

A: From April 2013 electrical work in a dwelling, or associated with its surroundings, is notifiable to a local building control body where the work includes:

• the installation of a new circuit, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage); or
• the replacement of a consumer unit (fusebox); or
• any alteration or addition to an existing circuit in a special location*, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage

*A special location is a room containing a bath or shower, swimming pool or a sauna heater.

An alteration or addition to an existing circuit in a room containing a bath or shower is notifiable only where carried out in the space surrounding a bath or shower.

An alteration or addition anywhere within a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater is notifiable.

A: Since 2005, all electrical work in dwellings in England and Wales whether carried out professionally or as DIY, and whether or not the work is notifiable to a building control body (see below), must meet the requirements of Part P of the Building Regulations. In April 2013 the requirements for England were amended.

Compliance with Part P is intended to keep you and your family as safe as possible from electrical hazards.

The requirements of Part P apply to new dwellings and to any alterations or additions to the electrical installations of existing dwellings, including full or partial rewires.

Part P states that anyone carrying out electrical work in a dwelling must ensure that reasonable provision has been made in the design and installation of the electrical installations in order to protect any persons who might use, maintain or alter the electrical installation of that dwelling from fire and injury, including electric shock.

A: By law, the homeowner or landlord must be able to prove that all electrical installation work meets Part P, or they will be committing a criminal offence.

Local authorities have the power to make homeowners or landlords remove or alter any work that does not meet the requirements of the Building Regulations.

A: Things to look for are:

1. Approved by a recognised governing body like the NICEIC
2. Insured – NCIEC will ensure this
3. Qualified – NCIEC will ensure this
4. Recommendations
5. Communication
6. Good Attitude

A: What you do need is to get a registered electrician to verify that what you’ve done is safe apart from some “minor” jobs like changing sockets or moving them a short distance.

What you might find is that a lot of electricians won’t verify your work, so you end up having to get them to do the job.