In May 2003 the Government announced that it would introduce a new Part to the Building Regulations, Part P, which would bring domestic electrical installation work in England and Wales under the legal framework of the Building Regulations. It will, for the first time, place a legal requirement for safety upon electrical installation work in dwellings, although the sector is highly regarded for its high levels of conformity with its chief standard, BS 7671.
It was announced that Part P would only be introduced in law when self-certification schemes were in place to ensure competency of the work undertaken. Such schemes are now in place. Part P of the Building Regulations became a legal requirement on January 1st 2005.
Electrical contractors who register with a competent person self-certification scheme will be able to self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations whenever they carry out 'notifiable' work. Persons who are not registered with a self-certification scheme - including DIYers - will need to notify or submit plans to a building control body, unless the work is non-notifiable as described above.
On the recommendation of BRAC (the Building Regulations Advisory Committee), the Government has approved schemes to be operated by:
• BRE Certification Limited
• BSI - British Standards Institution
• ELECSA Limited
• NAPIT Certification Ltd
• NICEIC Certification Services Limited
These schemes are aimed at those carrying out electrical installation work as the primary activity of their business. Links to these providers can be found in the relevant link group on the top-right right of this page.
• When it is required by Licensing Authorities, Public Bodies, Insurance Companies, Mortgagors and Landlords.
• To assess compliance with the current Institute of Engineering and Technology (IEE) Wiring Regulations
• When ownership of tenancy and premises changes
• On change of use of premises
• After changes have been made to the original installation
• When there have been significant changes in electrical loading of the installation
• If there is any reason to suspect that the installation may have been damaged
