The statutory requirements for electrical installations are different in England and Wales from those in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
England and Wales
Electricians carrying out work in England and Wales have to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations whereas in Scotland it is the Building Standards system. At the present time Northern Ireland has no equivalent statutory requirement.
Scotland
Since May 2005, if you’re doing work to your home that involves electricity, it now needs to conform to the new building regulations. They have been brought in to improve the standard of building work.
The new system includes rules for electrical installations, which has been controlled by the Building standards system for many years. Under the new system, any electrical work carried out under a building warrant (the legal permission you need from the local authority to start building work) will either have to be approved by a registered installer (known formally as an ‘approved certifier’) or be checked by the local authority.
Northern Ireland
There are currently no statutory requirements for domestic electrical installation work in Northern Ireland.
However, there are organisations that register and assess electrical contractors in this area.
Electrical Safety First strongly recommends that you engage a competent registered electrician to carry out any electrical work you need done.
What electrical work is covered by this law?
All electrical installation work in a home, garden, conservatory or outbuilding must comply with the Building Regulations.
With the exception of some minor tasks, electrical work must either be reported to the local authority building control body or carried out by a registered electrician who is a member of a Government-approved scheme.
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.
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.
We recommend that you use a registered electrician to do the electrical installation work.
The advantages of using a registered electrician 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;
- you have to access to a formal complaints procedure if the work doesn't meet Building Regulations; and
- you can choose to take out an insurance-backed guarantee when you have the work done, and you can make a claim if the work is later found not to meet Building 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 Work Certificate that confirms that the work meets BS 7671; and
- a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate that confirms that the work meets the Building Regulations.
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 any danger to themselves and others.
We strongly recommend that you use a registered electrician to do any electrical installation work you need. They work to the UK national safety standard and will give you a safety certificate to confirm that their work has been designed, inspected and tested in line with that standard.
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