How to check your electrician is properly qualified

When welcoming an electrician onto your premises, it’s important to be sure that they are fully qualified.

Take a look at our guide on how to find a good electrician that’s suitable for the job.

WHAT ACCREDITATIONS CAN AN ELECTRICIAN HAVE?

There are several government-approved schemes that electricians can register with, helping customers to ensure that they are adequately qualified and that they follow all necessary safety procedures.

Hiring a registered electrician means that they are regulated by the government, their work is regularly assessed, they work to the BS7671 safety standard, and they are insured.

Various accreditations and membership schemes for electricians in the UK include:

○ NICEIC

○ NAPIT

○ ECA

HOW DO I CHECK IF AN ELECTRICIAN IS REGISTERED?

If an electrician claims to be registered with a certain body, you can check this on the registration body’s website, or contact them by telephone if you are struggling to find confirmation.

For example, you can search the NICEIC database to check whether an electrician is a registered contractor. If a person or company falsely claims to be registered, you should report them to the relevant registration body.

CERTIFICATES AND ID

All qualified electricians will hold a ECS card which will contain a photo plus their qualifications on the rear. In addition, you can visit the following website to verify this information: www.ecscard.org.uk/ecs-check-card-search

It is always advisable to check the ID and relevant paperwork of any electrician before allowing them onto the premises. A legitimate, qualified electrician will be more than happy for you to check their identification and wait for you to verify it if necessary. Never work with an electrician who refuses to show you these documents.

When an electrician carries out work for you, they should provide you with the relevant certificates for any installations. An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) is a declaration that the new installation or alteration is safe at the time of issue. In many instances, this certificate is a legal requirement.

HOW QUALIFIED SHOULD YOUR ELECTRICIAN BE?

Depending on the complexity of the work, some jobs require a more highly qualified electrical contractor than others.

For example, a simple residential installation can be carried out by a domestic electrician without the Level 3 qualification required to be a registered electrician.

If you’d rather be safe than sorry, it’s not a bad idea to opt for an over-qualified electrician. While this might be more expensive, it could be a small price to pay for peace of mind. However, remember that highly qualified electricians might be more in demand and may turn down simpler jobs.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Not all electricians have the same experience, so you should make sure that your chosen electrician has the right skills for the task at hand.

Commercial electrical work can often be extremely complex. These jobs may deal with large currents, dangerous locations or stricter regulatory practices and should only be handled by an electrician with commercial experience.

If your job requires in-depth knowledge of particular types of machinery or electrical equipment, you should look for an electrician with prior experience in this sector.

OTHER KEY ATTRIBUTES

As well as being qualified for the job, there are many other attributes that separate a competent electrician from a great electrician.

When reading reviews on trusted sites or asking friends and family for a recommendation, keep an eye out for these key traits. The more of these your electrician has, the more likely they are to provide a great overall service.

○ Reliability

○ Honesty

○ Time management

○ Communication

○ Customer service

○ Problem solving

○ Attention to detail

○ Patience

EMERGENCY CALL OUTS

How do you find the best emergency electrician?

When something needs fixing as a matter of urgency, you might not have time to check accreditations, read reviews and ask around for recommendations. The best course of action is to find an emergency electrician before such a situation arises, so you can be sure of a reliable pair of hands when you need them.

HOW TO BECOME AN ELECTRICIAN

There are various different ways to train as an electrician, but you’ll need an industry-recognised Level 3 qualification to practice as an electrician.

Here are the most common routes to qualification.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are usually aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds with no previous experience, and are the most popular route to become a fully qualified electrician. It usually takes 2–3 years to complete an apprenticeship.

By combining one day per week of classroom-based study and on-the-job training, an apprenticeship allows you to earn a wage while learning essential skills and earning a Level 3 NVQ qualification.

NVQ

An NVQ is an assessment framework that leads to qualification by evaluating your skills in the workplace. It is earned by working on a variety of projects and demonstrating the practical application of the skills learned throughout the NVQ.

An NVQ in Electrical Installation usually takes 2–3 years to complete, but can be quicker if the role is particularly varied, or if you have been working for some time and can provide supporting evidence for the diploma from previous jobs.

Diploma or technical certificate

A Level 2 & 3 Diploma or technical certificate is another route to train as an electrician. This is a popular pathway, allowing a person to become self-employed or to join an established electrical company as an employee.

After completing the Diploma, many electricians go on to find a job and study an NVQ to boost their qualifications.

Domestic installer course

A domestic installer course takes just over a month to complete and is a good starting point for those with no prior electrical experience.

Although you won’t be qualified as an electrician at the end of the course, you will be considered a trained domestic electrician. This will allow you to complete residential jobs such as installing light fixtures.

QUALIFIED, RELIABLE ELECTRICIANS

Fusions’ team of highly skilled electricians have all been trained to the required standards, so you can be sure of a safe, reliable service every time. We’re NICEIC registered, have attained the BS7671 Standard, are MCS solar PV accredited and a BAFE Fire Detection & Alarm Systems Installer SP203. We take pride in ensuring that we are always up to speed with relevant legislation. Our electricians offer a wide range of services to our customers.

If you’re looking for competent and professional electrical contractors to tackle electrical work from basic maintenance through to complete electrical installations, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs.

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