Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Part P ?

A: Part P of the Building Regulations is an electrical safety law that was introduced by the Government in January 2005. It is designed to improve electrical safety in the home and reduce the number of accidents caused by faulty electrical work.

Q: How can I ensure that any electrical work carried out in my home complies with Part P?

A: Most electrical work in the home must now be carried out by an electrician who is registered with a government-approved scheme, such as the one operated by NICEIC. On completing the job, your NICEIC registered electrician will issue you with an electrical safety certificate. They will also provide you with a Compliance Certificate to confirm that the work meets the requirements of the Building Regulations.

Q: Can I carry out any electrical work in my home?

A: Yes. You can carry out some electrical work yourself but only if you inspect it and test that it is safe for use. To comply with the law you must notify your local building control office before beginning any electrical work and pay the appropriate fee for them to inspect your work.

Q: What is NICEIC and what does it do?

A: Originally set up in the 1950s, NICEIC is the UK's leading independent voluntary electrical regulatory body, responsible for assessing the competence of electricians throughout the country.

Any electrician wishing to enroll with NICEIC must comply with various national safety standards and codes of practice. And, because its members are inspected on a regular basis, you can be sure when using a NICEIC approved electrician that you'll get a professional and reliable service.

Q: What is Checkatrade?

A: Checkatrade provides a directory of firms and individuals that offer trades and services to the public. It's a completely free service that enables members of the public to choose a tradesman with confidence.

Members are vetted to a high standard, in terms of their insurance, qualifications and professional memberships. They are also monitored on an ongoing basis through the collection of direct feedback from their customers.

We will be adding more questions and answers to this page in due course.

In the meantime, if you have a question that isn't covered here, please give us a call or send us an e-mail and we'll do our best to answer your query.