As of 1st January 2005 all electrical work in dwelling houses and flats will need to comply with Part P requirements and be carried out by persons who are competent to do the work.
Small jobs such as replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit will not need to be notified to a building control body (although there are some exceptions for high risk locations such as kitchens and bathrooms).
All work that involves adding a new circuit or part of a circuit to a dwelling will need to be either notified to building control, who will then inspect the work (fee approximately £200 as of May 2008), or be carried out by a competent person who is registered with a Part P Self-Certification Scheme.
Box A You do not need to tell your local authority's Building Control Department about: • repairs or replacements of a like for like nature, or • extra power points or lighting points to existing circuits (except in a kitchen or bathroom, or outdoors). You will need to tell them about most other work. If you are not sure about this, or you have any questions, ask your local authority's Building Control Department. |
Persons registered with Part P Self-Certification Schemes will be fully qualified electrical installers with the ability to thoroughly check a circuit for safety. They will be able to issue Building Regulations certificates of compliance.
Many jobs carried out on a DIY basis will be small jobs that do not need to be notified to building control, but householders are recommended to have them checked by a competent electrician to make sure they are safe.
The risks posed by unsafe electrical installations and portable appliances are electric shock and burns and injuries arising from fires in buildings ignited by electrical components overheating or arcing. Installations properly designed, fitted, tested and commissioned in accordance with BS7671 will help to minimise these risks.
For the purposes of Building Regulations a fixed electrical system means those parts of the wiring and appliances that are fixed to the building fabric e.g. cables, sockets, switches, fuse-boxes, immersion heaters and ceiling fittings.
British Standard 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations: the IEE Wiring Regulations is the principal British Standard that covers the safe design, installation and testing of electrical installations in buildings systems and it is the technical standard almost universally specified in UK contracts for electrical installation work. It is the basis for the approved technical guidance to meet the electrical requirements of the Building Regulations.
You can view it now at www.odpm.gov.uk/electricalsafety