Part P has been introduced in order to:

• reduce the number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by faulty electrical installations
• make life harder for 'cowboys' to leave electrical installations in an unsafe condition

Part ‘P’ Competent Person Scheme

Mark Williams is a Registered Electrical Installer under the BRE Part ‘P’ Competent Person Scheme.

A 'Competent Person' is a firm that has been approved by one of the government-approved Part P schemes as sufficiently competent to self-certify that its work complies with the Building Regulations.

A registered firm is not required to notify a building control body of its proposals to carry out electrical installation work before it begins, or to have the work inspected on completion. This reduces costs for the customer as the additional charges for calling out a building control body can be avoided.

If a firm wishes to become a Competent Person it must first be vetted to ensure it meets the conditions of registration, including the required levels of competence. The standard of technical competence required is as follows:

• Electrical work in dwellings is designed, installed, inspected and tested to the standard required by BS 7671
• Applicants for a Part P Competent Person Scheme are assessed to be able to work to these standards

A firm registered as a ‘competent person’:

• Can deal with all the new rules for you.
• Is qualified to carry out electrical work to BS 7671, the national safety standard
• Will give you a certificate to confirm their work follows the new rules

Using a ‘competent person’ ensures that:

• You do not have to pay Building Control charges
• You have the option of taking out an insurance-backed guarantee for the work
• You have access to a formal complaints procedure if you are not happy with the work

If you decide against using a registered firm to carry out any work for you, bear in mind the following points:

• There is no guarantee that the electrical installation is safe
• You will have no official record of the work you’ve had carried out
• You may have difficulty selling your home if you do not have the right electrical safety certificates
• Your local authority’s Building Control Department may insist that you put right any faulty work

Failing to comply with the Building Regulations is a criminal offence.

DIY

Anyone is entitled to carry out electrical installation work in dwellings. However, when carrying out electrical work, there are two points to consider:

• All work - however minor - must, by law, comply with Part P requirements
• Work of the type listed below must be notified to your local authority's Building Control department

The list below describes the types of electrical installation work and locations that require advance notification to your local authority's Building Control department.

Type of Work New installation, rewire or partial rewire New consumer unit One or more new circuits Extension to circuit (in kitchen, special location*/installation**) Main/supplementary equipotential bonding Ring/radial power Lighting circuit Heating (central heating/room heating/hot water/boiler/controls Air conditioning/ventilation system/extractor fan Shower (electrically heated or pumped) Cooker Fire/security/environmental control system Vertical lift or stair lift (within dwelling) Special installation*

Location Building sharing supply with dwelling Building extension or conservatory Common area of block of flats Flat Dwelling house Detached shed, garage or greenhouse Kitchen Garden Special location**

* Special installation: electric floor/ceiling heating; garden lighting/power; ELV lighting; generator

** Special location: a room containing bath or shower, swimming pool, sauna