How to find a good electrician in Coventry

I've mentioned before in my blog posts that I am kept very busy fixing shoddy and dangerous work carried out by electricians that are either unqualified, un-registered or both. In most cases, my client is surprised that they fell victim to a bad trades person. In my blog today, I'm going to tell you how to avoid a bad experience and where to look to find a great electrician in and around the Birmingham area.

 

As strange as it seems, it is easy to fall into the hands of an un-registered electrician. They are known for talking the talk and it is all too easy to overlook a very important matter – that is the checking of qualifications and registration. Never overlook this when looking for an electrician to work in your home. Whether it is an extra socket or a full re-wire, always check their credentials before work starts. Any electrician worth their salt will be more than happy to show you their credentials on request.

 

What problems do un-registered electricians cause?

 

The problems I have come across as an electrician in Coventry and Birmingham range from being fairly minor to downright dangerous. As an example, I have seen careless workmanship such as sockets and switches installed in a hap-hazard and careless manner to large re-wire jobs being abandoned part way through and leaving live cable exposed.

 

Un-registered electricians are a mixed bag – and you never know what you are going to get. The worse possibility is death caused by an electric shock. Ask yourself, is it really worth the risk to you and your family? Electricity does cost lives – 1 person every week in the UK dies as a result of electric shock. Additionally, in most cases, you end up paying twice – which leaves you out of pocket.

 

How to avoid an un-registered electrician

 

Credentials

 

The most clear cut way to avoid falling into the hands of these guys is to check credentials. I mention credentials all the time in my posts, as this truly is the best way to check your electrician is who they say they are.

 

Always check registration details yourself with the appropriate registration body – the numbers can be found easily on line – do not use any numbers supplied by the tradesman, always obtain the contact details yourself.

 

Qualifications will be in the form of certificates – the most common being City & Guilds (C&G) or EAL. Most electricians carry these to show to prospective customers as part of their portfolio.

 

Price

 

Always obtain 3 quotes for the electrical work you need done. This will give you a good idea of the price you should be expecting to pay. Be very wary of a quote that seems far cheaper than any others you have. Most of the homes I work in that have been a victim of an un-registered electrician tell me they accepted the cheapest quote.

 

The cheapest quote can often prove to the most expensive in the long run! Below are some points which will enable you to compare quotes:

 

• Materials – does the price include the cost of materials

• Certification – is this extra?

• Work being done – a proper quote should detail the actual work being done for the price

• VAT – does the price include VAT?

 

 

Finding a registered electrician

 

Looking in the right places will significantly reduce your chances of encountering an un-registered electrician. However, still be sure to check their credentials before they start working in your home.

 

Here are some popular ways to find an electrician who you trust to work in your home:

 

• Recommendation

 

If you have used another trades person in your home that you trust and who has produced work of a high standard, it is worth asking them if they can recommend an electrician for you. Indeed, I happily recommend other trades to my customers who need further work doing.

 

Of course you may not know any tradespeople, so another good way is to ask around family and friends who have had electrical work carried out recently to see who they would recommend. However, do be sure that they are experienced enough to carry out the work you need. Obtaining recommendations from people who have had similar work carried out that you need is the best way forward.

 

• Electricians Registers

 

A quick internet search will reveal many electricians registers, however it is important to use reputable and recommended registers. All registered electricians belong to a trade body such as the NICEIC, ELECSA and NAPIT. These organisations all have an on line register of their members. This is a great place to find an electrician in your local area with the peace of mind that they are both qualified and registered.

 

There are other registers too which are worth looking at which may help to narrow down your search.

 

• TrustMark

 

TrustMark is a register of tradespeople that join in addition to their registration. I highly recommend searching this register as it is the only Government endorsed register. Every trades person on there has been assessed as working to strict Government standards. Not every electrician is TrustMark registered, so searching this register will help narrow down your search.

 

• Other sites such as checkatrade.com

 

There are other sites that can assist with finding an electrician. I am a member of checkatrade.com there are others which you may have heard of via radio and television advertising. I like sites such as these as they allow you to build a picture of what an electrician is like before making contact. Checkatrade.com rates members on areas such as tidiness, reliability and timekeeping, courtesy and workmanship. Although websites such as these give a good profile of an electrician prior to making contact, do not forget to independently check the information given on these websites yourself.

 

Finding a local professional electrician can be easier than you think

 

As you can see, it is about looking in the right places to find an electrician in Coventry. Electrical Experts pride ourselves in offering expert electrical care across Coventry & Warwickshire. I look forward to helping you in your next electrical project.