Summary

Guidance on Electrical Safety in Dwellings as detailed in Approved Document P of the Building Regulations, routes to compliance, a list of competent person schemes and a search facility for registered companies.

   

Electrical Safety In and Around Dwellings

From 1 January 2005, the design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations is controlled under Part P of the Building Regulations.   Part P applies mainly to dwelling houses and flats, including gardens and outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and greenhouses.

• Small jobs such as the provision of a socket-outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit will not need to be notified to Building Control (although there will be some exceptions for high risk areas know as special locations, such as kitchens and bathrooms).
• All work that involves adding a new circuit to a dwelling, or electrical work in kitchens and bathrooms or in ‘special locations’ (see below) will need to be either notified to Building Control with a building regulations application, or carried out by a competent person who is registered with a Part P Self-Certification Scheme.

 

The seventeenth edition of the IEE (Institution of Electrical Engineers) Wiring Regulations, British Standard 7671:2008 (Requirements for Electrical Installations) came into publication on the 21 January 2008. Any installation undertaken after the 1 July 2008 must comply with the provisions of the seventeenth edition of BS:7671.

 

Notifiable Jobs

The list below describes typical examples of electrical installation work and locations that require advance notification to your local authority's Building Control department.

 

Type of work

Location

New installation, rewire or partial rewire New consumer unit One or more new circuits Modifying a circuit in a kitchen or special location*, or involves a special installation**) Telephone or control wiring (in special location*/installation**) New outdoor wiring such as garden lighting or power installations A new socket-outlet on an outside wall Heating (central heating/room heating/hot water/boiler/controls Special installation*

Building sharing supply with dwelling Shared areas of block of flats such as laundries Common area of block of flats Flat Dwelling house Detached shed, garage or greenhouse Kitchen Garden Special location**

*  Special installation: electric floor/ceiling heating, outdoor lighting/power, ELV lighting; generators, Solar photovoltaic systems.

**  Special location: a room containing bath or shower, swimming pool, paddling pool, sauna.

 

Routes to Compliance

There are two routes available to applicants to ensure that they comply with Part P:

 

 1. Use an electrician/installer who is registered with a Competent Persons Scheme, in which case a building regulations application will not be required for the electrical work. We would strongly encourage the use of electricians/installers who are registered with a Competent Persons Scheme.

 

2. Submit a Building Regulations application| to the Local Authority:

 

(A)   Where an electrician registered with a recognised trade body such as NICEIC, ECA and NAPIT (who need not be registered under a competent persons scheme) tests the work and issues a design, installation and test certificate under BS 7671, Building Control will accept the certificate as evidence that the work complies with Part P. Additional inspections by Building Control may also be carried out in conjunction with the acceptance of a certificate. To search for an electrician competent to inspect and test please use the following external link www.competentperson.co.uk|.

 

(B) Where the work is carried out by an unregistered electrician or is a DIY installation, the applicant is required to have the work inspected and tested by a registered electrician as in (A) above and provide a copy of the certificate to the Local Authority.

 

Competent Persons Schemes

There are currently five full scope schemes in operation who can carry out any electrical work and six defined-scope schemes for other trades who can carry out a limited amount of electrical work (for example gas fitters and kitchen fitters, alarm installers and electric garage door fitters). 

 

All of the certified Competent Persons registered to carry out electrical work have registered in schemes run by the following scheme providers. Should you have a query concerning any Competent Person you should contact the scheme operator, details of these are available from the links on our Competent Persons Schemes page|.

 

While compliance with Part P of the Building Regulations is compulsory, registration with a Competent Person Scheme is not. Businesses carrying out work covered by the Building Regulations are encouraged to join one of the government's approved schemes. Alternatively, they may choose to continue to use a building control body.

If you are in any doubt about the work you intend to carry out, or you have any questions, please either contact us| or a suitably qualified electrician.