Hello to everyone

This is something that should of been told to you the public, and before the 1st of January 2005. For over a year now Part P has been put together by the Government, this affects all electricians and the public working on domestic electrical installations.

As of the 1st of January 2005 most electrical work in a domestic property or commercial property with domestic property adjoining, must be completed by a competant electrician on a Government approved scheme not nessassarily an NICEIC electrician. This is now law and if you dont follow the new rules, you might not be able to sell your house, can be fined, and more.

There has been alot of information about part P for electricians but very little for the public, this I feel is very bad for the public especially when the Government has said part P has been brought out for the publics safety.
The Government kept it very quiert and still are, for alot of reasons, its coming up to voting time isnt it thats one reason.

As I say very little information is being given out to the public and with good reason if only you the public knew, Well its time you did know. Have a look at your house insurance next time you renew it and look for details about the electrics in your home especially DIY and maintenance work. If its not certificated and you make a claim you wont get paid simple as that. Do you also know who is responsible for the electrical installation in your house, YOU ARE. If you employ an electrician to work in your house and they do unsafe work and or its not certificated you are responsible and can be fined.

Next time you go into a DIY store have a look round, are they giving you any information about Part P, Ive not seen any sofar. When you buy electrical parts or appliances from DIY stores, all they are interested in is your money, they give very little advice out and worst still, you can get most things cheaper in any wholesaler who sells to the public. You go to the DIY stores because they are open till late and parking is easy, but as I say you can get your electrical parts cheaper by far at most wholesalers.

The DIY stores dont give out much information except a fly sheet which usually says only the wires to install it. When you take that light home and take the old one down you will usually find 3 reds, 3 blacks, and 3 earths so do they help then no. There is a change coming into force by 2006 but is happening now, all electrical wiring is changing to new colours but did you know that either most dont. We are conforming to new european colours red will become brown, black will become blue, and earth stays the same. This is only single phase wiring I have mentioned but with larger installations there are changes too.

Also due to this new law you will hve to inform your local council building control if electrical work is carried out in certain cercumstances eg. kitchens, bathrooms, rewires, new fuseboards, exterior power and lighting and some other work. This is going to cost you if you employ a non competant electrician or do the work yourself. For charges please look at your local building control website or get intouch wth them. My local building control are charging £58.75 for work under £1000.00 £123.38 for work between £1000.00 and £2000.00 and £203.28 for between £2000.00 to £5000.00.

Due to this new law many qualified electricians will have to join a Goernment approved scheme which is going to cost between £500.00 and £1000.00 for one year, this is not including any other outlay like update courses and such like. So you see the price of electrical work within your home will be going up, and this is something electricians didnt want, but will have to do to comply with the new law. The future will bring higher prices and it will be harder to employ an electrician due to there will be far less electricians around to do the work. In time electrical work will be done by large companies who will charge high prices, as there wont be the local small businesses around who charge cheaper rates.

The point of this posting is to inform you of what you probably dont know, and how it affects you. So if you feel that the new law called part P is wrong please add your name to the posting called against part P and if possible also write to your MP, and maybe we can get this law changed. Spread the word and do what you can to stop this unfair law.

Regards to all BigT

Know where you're coming from HM, but just from my experience, most changes I've come across in domestic properties are where people buy new lights for the kitchen, bathroom or outside. Also get asked to do many 'shed power & light' jobs. Only other common, non-PartP, ones I get are to add extra sockets by the TV or computer, or else to add a loft light/spur.

Many folks may also want to install a new consumer unit so they can have an RCD on their sockets..... now notifiable under building regs. Now they'll leave the old fuse board in that bit longer as paying out an extra £200-£300 to notify won't make financial sense. It's not going to make them any safer.

I'd love to see something decent implemented to make things safer but this PartP as it stands won't do that. We need it changed... and pronto.

[quote author=HM  link=1109092777/0#1 date=1109097434]Part P covers designated "wet" areas only. [/quote]
Not the case...

[quote author=Beanzy  link=1109092777/0#2 date=1109099083]most changes I've come across in domestic properties are where people buy new lights for the kitchen, bathroom or outside. Also get asked to do many 'shed power & light' jobs. Only other common, non-PartP, ones I get are to add extra sockets by the TV or computer, or else to add a loft light/spur. [/quote]
That sounds about right

[quote author=Beanzy  link=1109092777/0#2 date=1109099083] It's not going to make them any safer [/quote]
I entirely disagree with that  

[quote author=HM  link=1109092777/0#3 date=1109101298]Then the Inland Revenue have this handy list of sparks that they can trawl [/quote]
I'm really pleased you pointed that out, was worried that it had not come up in discussion, it's quite alarming how they can spy on us all, anyone and everyone trough different means, big brother for you..

The main issue here is WHY ISNT THERE MORE INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC.

Why is it that only sparks mainly know about this issue, Why isnt more information on the TV, in newspapers etc etc. Especially when its supposidly all about safety which its not, its about screwing the public as we all know and not by electricians its by the Government.

Regards T

It was in the papers for a few days at New Year, and on Teletext - though I only noticed it because I was aware it was coming in.

JohnD

Just been asked to do a quote on a barn conversion next week. The missus took the booking and the bloke told her apparently his existing spark isn't Part P reg'd "and isn't going to bother" (wey hey TT!). However the bummer from my point of view is that surely he wont need to be PartP, Q,R, S otT reg'd as the whole sheebang will be under regs approval anyway so his electrics would be covered by that. Now this is an area where non-reg'd sparks could be shafted by the mis-information going about.

Moral dilemma, do I inform the owner when I go by and risk blowing out the job by doing the decent thing? Probably will & just keep fingers crossed he likes the look of me afterwards. He'll probably think 'To55er' and try and pull a fast one on me, having pegged me as a 'softie'.

I haven't seen it yet so it may be more complex than the above makes it sound, may be all sorts going on I don't know about. But at leat I'll get to poke my nose in.  

I can understand your indignation, DaveB, and I'm sure your work is up to scratch and to the latest regulations. Sadly, the vast majority of domestic electrical work does not come close. And just as the occupants of a house pay no heed to the state of the wiring ("It works, who cares how?") neither do buyers... until it's too late.

Every week I see examples of truly bodged work (by so-called professionals as well as by DIY-ers). Faced with the expense of putting it right or bodging still further many people opt for the one-more-bodge-surely-won't-make-any-difference approach. Why? Because it's electric, it's hidden and nobody's had a shock yet, etc...

Part P may not be everybody's idea of the right way to do it, but just as you are not allowed to remove supporting walls, install gas appliances and build extensions without some form of approval it is high time the domestic electrical installation industry came under the same sort of scrutiny.

How would you do it?

[quote author=Dave.B  link=1109092777/0#13 date=1109236728]I think the main issue here is the lack of public awareness. [/quote]

Oh, without a doubt. I believe a mass mailshot is planned for the end of March (I forget where I heard that). But, of course, it will be just like those "How to Deal With Terrorist Attacks leaflets that sit, unopened, gathering dust.

Would also need to stick a patch on that system for keeping the quals / cards up to date, and to keep 'gougers' from cutting corners, or just getting sloppy, as soon as they think noone is looking.

There are already qualified approval schemes for Part P covering specialisms like boiler and kitchen installers. The price looks the same though!

Word is also that the non-inspecting LABCBs are being pushed to inspect and test and charge accordingly. How come things never get rounded down or made cheaper? We're less than 2 months in to this stuff and it's already becoming a financial Frankenstein monster..... surprise surprise!