Why is this important? The ECA Register is the national body that registers electricians and electrical contractors. Any company that is registered with the ECA has to comply with strict rules. Each company is reviewed every twelve months to confirm they are working to legislation and regulations. The ECA also provides a 6 year guarantee on the company registered up to the value of £25,000 to put correct any defective workmanship.Under the domestic scheme all registered companies are required to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations and are required to submit confirmation of the work carried out where required to the local council on the clients behalf. Property Experts are registered under the ECA as Approved Contractor; Domestic installer and Part P.
Are materials approved by British Standards and does all cabling come under BASEC Why is this important? There have been a lot of reports of substandard materials being used especially cable’s not incorporating the correct amount of copper adequate for the load on the electrical conductor. Using such items could result in risk of electric shock or potential fire hazard. All materials used by Electrical Experts are sourced from approved wholesalers and reputable companies with a minimum of a 12 month guarantee.
What are the 18th Edition Regulations? These are the latest regulations any electrician or electrical contractor should be working to as they fall in line with the latest edition of BS7671 Regulations. (Electrical Regulations). Electrical Experts Personal are Qualified to the latest 18th Edition Regulations.
A quality contractor will hold a minimum of 5 Million Public Liability and 10 Million Employers Liability. One of the biggest risks when working with electricity is risk of fire by poor installation. Make sure the company your are engaging have the necessary cover.
The quotation needs to be on headed paper and fully legible and easily understood so that you are not taken in by trade jargon and feel uncomfortable about the content and terminology of the information. Electrical Experts will provide a formal quotation and will happily discuss any queries you may have regarding the information provided before proceeding with any works.
What happens when there is a job change or variation, how will they charge you if it has not been agreed in the quote. Electrical Experts operate a policy where costs for labour and materials are agreed prior to work being carried out and therefore you have peace of mind that you will be paying a fair price for any additional work you wish to carry out.
Are they aware of the correct procedures for the disposal of waste? We all have to be aware of our environmental impact these days with electricians as no exception. All electricians have a responsibility to remove certain waste such as lamps under the WEE directive which is law. We have come across many circumstances where waste materials have just been thrown in customers skips and waste bins, which many customers do not realise they are responsible for and can cause them a real headache.
Have operatives carried out a full apprenticeship? Are they qualified to City & Guilds? What formal training have they received? It would normally take at least four years to qualify as an electrician. There are courses available that claim to get you qualified in 5 days !!! At Electrical Experts we employ a wide range of skilled operatives. There’s no substitute for experience!
Do they have a Health & Safety Policy? This is a requirement by law if they employ 5 or more persons. Are they a member of any associations for Health & Safety? Have they had any prosecutions? Electricity is dangerous, Government figures estimate; “10 fatal and 2,000 non-fatal electric shock accidents in the home per year apportioned to electrical incidents and 19 fatal and 880 non-fatal shock accidents in the workplace.” “There are around 12,500 electrical fires in homes across the UK each year. Although many incidents are caused by faulty appliances rather than the electrical installation itself, a properly installed and well-maintained electrical system could save lives.” Electrical Experts hold a full health & safety policy and are also hold Health & Safety Accreditation as well as employing an external health & safety company who advise and monitor our company procedures and policies.
Ask about other clients they work for. Can they give examples? are they happy to give names of people for references? Have they done similar work to what you have requested? Electrical Experts are confident that we have the knowledge and technical experience to meet the majority of client's requirements, however should we feel we are unable to provide the service you require, we will always advise you of this and try and point you in the right direction for your requirements. Please see our testimonials for some of the works we have carried out. We can always provide contacts for references should they be required.
Unfortunately we now live in a society of distrust and questioning! How do we know that the people we let into our homes, offices, school etc. are credible operatives to work in such environments. All Electrical Experts personal are subject to a CRB check – Criminal Records Bureau to giving our customers the knowledge that we take seriously the past history of our employees and the reputation of our company.
We endeavour to be as competitive as we can in the market place, however we will not always be the cheapest and nor do we publicise that we will be, we believe we provide the best service against cost. When you are looking through your quotes, please be mindful costs may vary due to companies not having the correct insurances, not employing skilled operatives or not being with accredited bodies