Overview
In 2005 the Government introduced electrical safety rules into the Building Regulations. Because of this, most fixed electrical installation work carried out in homes must, by law, meet the Building Regulations. Part P is the England version and it is the one that applies to our work, Wales has its own building regulations covering the same ground.
Part P states that any electrician or anyone carrying out electrical installation work in a home must make sure that the work is designed and installed to protect people from fire and electric shocks. Part P applies to newly-built homes and to any changes made to existing installations, including any parts that have been rewired.
You can find full details on Part P, including the current Approved Document, on gov.uk.
What electrical work is covered by this law?
All electrical installation work in a home, garden, conservatory or outbuilding must meet the Building Regulations. That part has not changed since 2005 and it catches everything, right down to an extra socket.
What has changed is the list of work that has to be notified. Notifiable work is now:
- The installation of a new circuit
- The replacement of a consumer unit (fuse board)
- Any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location, which means a room containing a bath or shower, or a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater
Notifiable work must either be reported to the local-authority building-control before it starts, or be carried out by an electrician who is registered with one of the Government-approved scheme providers.
Everything else, a replacement socket, a new light fitting on an existing circuit, an extra socket outside a special location, still has to meet BS 7671 and still has to be certified, it just does not have to be notified.
Who is responsible for making sure that electrical work meets the requirements of Part P?
By law, all homeowners and landlords must be able to prove that all electrical installation work meets Part P, or they will be committing a criminal offence. Local authorities can make homeowners or landlords remove or alter any work that does not meet the Building Regulations.
This is the one that catches people out when they come to sell. The buyer’s solicitor asks for the paperwork for the new kitchen or the new fuse board, and if there isn’t any, the sale sits still while it gets sorted out.
What do I need to do before electrical installation work can be carried out in my home?
You must either:
- Tell your local-authority building-control about the installation work before it starts;
or
- Employ an electrician who is registered with one of the Government-approved Part P schemes.
Regulations, what does Part P of the Building Regulations mean for me?
If you use a registered electrician, you can expect to have safe electrical installation work done, as the work will meet the UK national standard, BS 7671 (Requirements for Electrical Installations). When the work is finished you will receive:
- An Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate that confirms that the work meets BS 7671.
- Where the work was notifiable, a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate that confirms that the work meets the Building Regulations.
Keep both of them somewhere safe. They are the proof the paragraph above is talking about.
Is it important who carries out electrical installation work in my home?
Yes.
Electrical installation work must be carried out only by people who have the knowledge, skill and experience needed to avoid danger to themselves and others. It’s easy to make an electrical circuit work, it’s far harder to make the circuit work safely.
We recommend
We recommend that you use a registered electrician to do the electrical installation work. The advantages of using ProElec registered electricians are:
- You will not have to pay any building-control charges;
- The electrician can deal with everything for you;
- The electrician will arrange for you to receive a certificate that confirms the work meets Building Regulations;
- By using a registered electrician you have access to a formal complaints procedure if the work doesn’t meet Building Regulations.
More information
For more information please contact us or telephone us directly on 01925 222197