What does Part P mean?

As London Electrical Contractors, we are often asked when carrying out quotation visits what it means to be Part P registered.

Now something that to electricians is an every day term, means to be honest, not very much to our customers. Although customers and the wider public are aware of the need to look out for Part P registration when selecting a domestic electrician in London, they do not understand what it means. We find that many clients think it is a qualification when in fact it is a Building Regulation.

We carried out a Google search to find out “what does Part P mean” and it is easy to see how the public are confused with the meaning of Part P. There is plenty of information for electricians which is full of jargon and understandably isn't going to mean very much to someone who is not familiar with Part P and what it means to them as a house holder.

So in our post today we are going to explain the meaning of Part P in a straight forward way and why it is important for you as a house holder.

What is Part P?

Part P is a building regulation set by government, that forms the statutory requirements for electrical work carried out in England and Wales. Part P was introduced in 2005 and amended in April 2013. The majority of electrical work carried out within homes falls within the scope of the Part P Building Regulations. This means that it is a legal requirement for these works to be notified to a Part P scheme provider who would then submit the information to their Local Authority.

This is where it is important (and in your better interests) to use a Part P Registered electrician as this will be your cheaper option. A Part P registered electrician means they self certify their electrical work through registration with a Part P scheme provider such as the NICEIC. This is far cheaper than consulting your Local Authority directly who will charge high fees (into the hundreds of pounds) to certify notifiable electrical work.

Carrying out your own electrical work

There are limited electrical works that you can carry out yourself, however here at Fulcher Edwards we do not recommend doing any form of DIY electrical work unless you are 100% confident. The type of electrical work you can do yourself is very limited and you can only replace like for like. In basic terms this means you can replace what is already in your home so long as no changes are made and you are replacing with exactly the same as what is there currently.

In April 2013, the government made some changes to Part P where notifiable jobs around the home have been reduced which now allows householders to carry out some electrical works in bathrooms and gardens. It is also possible to employ a non-registered electrician who can then seek Part P certification through another electrician who is Part P registered, however how this actually works is still being debated at government level and so there are very few electricians who would be happy to certify someone else’s work at this current time.

Why it is better to use a Part P Registered Electrician

Aside from the additional costs of seeking certification on electrical work done yourself, how do you know your work is safe? Using a Part P certified electrician is a win win situation. Firstly, the cost of putting right a DIY electrical job that has gone wrong can be far greater than using a Part P domestic electrician in London in the first place. Secondly, the work will be guaranteed against workmanship and product defects and you and your family will have peace of mind that the work has been installed and tested for safety. Lastly, carrying out work that is Part P notifiable is illegal. It can be easy to 'cross into uncharted territory' and attempt electrical work that is notifiable. There is a thin line between notifiable work and non-notifiable work particularly in high risk areas such as bathrooms. Having uncertified notifiable electrical work can cause problems should you choose to sell your home in the future and increasing numbers of home insurance policies will not pay out in the event of a claim caused by uncertified home electrical work.

How will I know an electrician is Part P Registered?

The basic thing to look out for before contacting an electrician is a logo of the main scheme provider. Here at Fulcher Edwards we carry the logos of NICEIC Domestic Installer and NICEIC Approved Contractor. Either of these logos are fine as are the logos of other scheme providers. Whilst it is a criminal offence to display a logo of a scheme provider whom an electrician is not registered with, unfortunately this can happen. So our recommendation to anyone looking for a Part P registered electrician is to check directly with the scheme provider that the electrician is actually registered with them. This can be done on line or via telephone. We highly recommend you do this before employing the electrician to carry out work in your home.

Finally, always ensure you receive your Part P certificate following completion of the electrical works. This is often given at the end of the job following payment or follows in the post a few days later.