Since 1 January 2005, all electrical work in dwellings has needed to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations and be carried out by persons who are competent to do the work.
The Building Regulations do not make the carrying out of electrical work in dwellings on a DIY or amateur basis illegal, however one of the purposes of the regulations is to regulate this activity aggressively and promote the concept of such work only being carried out by people who are qualified and competent to do so, including installation and the commissioning and testing of the new or altered circuits.
- What sort of jobs need to be notified to the local authority or carried out by a Competent Person?
- Who will be carrying out the work?
- What is the Competent Person Scheme?
- What do the new rules mean for householders?
What sort of jobs need to be notified to the local authority or carried out by a Competent Person?
Small jobs such as replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit do not need to be notified to a building control body, although there will be some exceptions for high risk areas such as kitchens and bathrooms where the technical requirements of Part P will still apply. A list of examples of electrical work requiring notification to your local authority is on the LABC website.
All work that involves adding a new circuit to a dwelling must be either notified to Building Control or carried out by a Competent Person who is registered with a Part P Competent Person Self-Certification Scheme.
Who will be carrying out the work?
The most important question for householders is: 'Who will be carrying out the work?'
If it is themselves, a friend or relative then they will have to submit a formal Building Regulation application for the work, unless only minor work is involved. The preferred alternative is to employ someone who is certified by a relevant Competent Person Scheme.
If the local authority route is taken, a Building Regulation Charge will be payable and in addition, the householder may need to commission a qualified electrician to inspect, test and document the installation so that the local authority can assess whether it complies with Part P. Where the preferred alternative option of employing someone certified by a relevant 'Competent Person' scheme is used the inspection, test and documentation process would have formed part of the installer's contract with the householder and would not be an expensive, add-on, 'extra'.
What is the Competent Person Scheme?
Persons registered with Part P Competent Person Self-Certification Schemes are qualified electrical contractors who have the ability to check a circuit for safety thoroughly. They can also issue Building Regulation certificates of compliance.
The Government's leaflet, 'New Rules for Electrical Safety in the Home', summarises the options and explains how to go about finding a 'Competent Person'. You can also search for a Part P Competent Person on the LABC Part P Competent Persons Register.
What do the new rules mean for householders?
The new rules affect anyone considering work to a home's fixed electrical system, including DIY enthusiasts.
Failure to comply could lead to householders being required to bring the work up to standard and may make it more difficult to sell their homes. For the purposes of Building Regulations a fixed electrical system means those parts of the wiring and appliances that are fixed to the building fabric, for example, cables, sockets, switches, fuse-boxes, immersion heaters and ceiling fittings. The introduction of a plug to separate what would otherwise be normally considered to be part of the fixed system does not necessarily bring the work out of Building Regulation control.
Minor jobs like replacing sockets and light switches will not be affected, but anyone thinking of, for example, adding new circuits to their house will have to involve Building Control. However, there will be some exceptions for high-risk areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms, which will need notification regardless of the type of work.
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