WHAT IS IT? AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
What is Part P?
Part P is a new part of the Building Regulations which has been introduced by government and affects all electrical work carried out in dwellings.
People carrying out electrical work in homes and gardens in England and Wales should follow the rules set out in Part P of the Building Regulations to ensure that they are complying with the law. These rules are designed to ensure that electrical work is safe.
Why has Part P been introduced?
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
What is a Competent Person?
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. Schemes authorised by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) are listed on its website.
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 minimum 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
If you have any queries about any of the Part P Competent Person Schemes please contact the DCLG.
Why should I use a Competent Person?
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
Part P of the building regulations has been introduced to protect the consumer:
To reduce the number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by faulty electrical installations and
To make it harder for ‘cowboys’ to leave electrical installations in an unsafe condition
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; however, registration with a Competent Person scheme is not compulsory. If you decide to use a firm that has not registered as a Competent Person, you must ensure that the firm has submitted notification of the work and arranged for it to be inspected and certified by your local authority's Building Control Department on completion.
Does Part P Apply To Me?
Part P applies to all electrical installation work carried out in dwellings. However, you do not need to tell your local authority's Building Control department about:
repairs and maintenance work or
extra power points or lighting points or other alterations to existing circuits (except in specially defined areas such as a kitchen, bathroom or outdoors)
If you are unsure you should contact your local authority's Building Control department or, if you are already dealing with a Competent Person, they should be able to advise you.