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’UK homes are a minefield of electrical hazards’
(taken from - NICEIC website www.niceic.org.uk -government approved organisation)
Charitable organisation set up to monitor standards and safety of electrical contractors. It contains a list of approved electrical contractors
As a new law comes into force to prevent serious injuries and even death from faulty home electrics, research out today from electrical safety body, the NICEIC, has found that the public are woefully unaware of the electrical dangers lurking in their homes. Every householder questioned had electrical hazards in their homes including exposed bare wires, loose cables, old wiring and overloaded sockets.
The research also shows a considerable level of ignorance about the condition of home electrics. The NICEIC found that 40% of people had no idea about the age of the wiring within their house and 1 in 5 said their wiring was as much as 30 years old. More than half of those questioned did not know how often house wiring should be checked by a qualified electrician.
’electrical work in homes will need to be carried out by an electrician who is registered under a government approved scheme, such as the NICEIC’
Under the new law, Part P of the building regulations, which comes into force from January 1st 2005, most electrical work in homes will need to be carried out by an electrician who is registered under a government approved scheme, such as the NICEIC. The alternative, for those doing DIY electrics is for electrical work to be checked by local authority building control at a cost of around £120.
Despite this tough new law over 70% of householders questioned still felt confident to tackle DIY electrical tasks. 17% of DIYers would tackle wiring in new plug sockets, nearly 10% would wire in an electric shower and 3% said they would even be happy re-wiring the whole house.
Jim Speirs, director general of electrical safety body, the NICEIC, said: "We feel this law is long overdue. Under the new law, homeowners will be protected as long as their electrician gives them a certificate once they’ve completed the work. So, if you don’t get a certificate or you do DIY electrics yourself and don’t get it checked - you may not only be sitting on an electrical time bomb - you’ll also be breaking the law."
Amazingly, electricians have never been regulated despite faulty electrics causing an average of 2336 house fires, 750 serious injuries and 10 deaths each year.
The NICEIC welcomes the Government’s decision to finally clamp down on the cowboys who cause these deaths and is advising homeowners to make sure they only employ Government-approved electricians.
Face up to new electrical safety law or face fines
taken from - NICEIC website www.niceic.org.uk/
Charitable organisation set up to monitor standards and safety of electrical contractors. It contains a list of approved electrical contractors
’SWITCH ON to new building regulations’
Homeowners warned to SWITCH ON to new building regulations
The NICEIC is urging homeowners who plan to tackle home improvement projects to be aware of tough new changes to building regulations, which if not complied with, could land you with a massive £5,000 fine and a property you can’t sell.
The new building regulation Part P, effective since 1st January 2005, requires most electrical work in the home to be carried out by a government-approved electrician, such as one registered with the NICEIC. Its aim is to stop the rising number of deaths from faulty electrics, much of which is undertaken by over ambitious DIY enthusiasts and cowboy electricians.
Under the new law, homeowners are still able to replace accessories such as light switches and sockets to an existing circuit, although there are exceptions for locations such as kitchens and bathrooms. An electrician registered under a government-approved scheme must undertake all other work. The alternative, for DIY’ers, is to notify a local building control body before starting any work and pay the appropriate fee for an inspection and a certificate after work is completed.
"This law will make homes safer and is long overdue", says Jim Speirs director general of electrical safety body, the NICEIC. "Homeowners will now be protected from dangerous electrics as a competent electrician will provide them with a certificate once they’ve completed the work. If you don’t get a certificate or do the work yourself without getting it checked, you will not only be sitting on a potential electrical time bomb, but committing a criminal offence too. Your local authority can order the removal or correction of any work and fine you up to £5,000."
’Failure to comply could also make it difficult to sell your house in the future’
Failure to comply could also make it difficult to sell your house in the future. The NICEIC advises that electrical installation certificates are likely to be included in the government’s proposed home sellers’ packs. These are designed to offer prospective buyers reassurance and peace of mind about the safety of homes being offered for sale.
Amazingly, electricians have never been regulated despite faulty electrics causing an average of 12,500 house fires, 750 serious injuries and 10 deaths each year.
The NICEIC welcomes the government’s decision to finally clamp down on the cowboys who cause these deaths and is advising homeowners to make sure they only employ government-approved electricians.
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