If you are having any electrical work carried out in your home you need to know what ‘Part P’ is and what it means to you.

What is Part P

New regulations came into force in January 2005 relating to electrical work carried out in the home. The aim of this is to reduce the growing number of electrical accidents and fires caused by incorrect and dangerous electrical wiring. This applies to all new electrical installations and many alterations and additions to current installations in England and Wales.

The regulations require that electrical work must be inspected by the local authority Building Control department (similar to when building work takes place) or the work can carried out by a member of an authorised Part P Competent Person scheme

What does this mean to you as a householder

If you have an electrician or tradesman in your home to carry out electrical work you must ensure he is a member of an authorised Part P Competent Person scheme. Ask him, he will know what you mean, if he doesn’t then find another.

When the job is finished he must give you a certificate within 30 days of the work being completed confirming that it fully complies with the required standard. (In this case BS 7671)

If you are doing the work yourself you can either notify the local authority Building Control department, they will check the work but will charge you for this, alternatively, you can employ an electrician who is a member of an authorised Part P Competent Person scheme to check the work and issue a certificate.

It is an offence for the work to be carried by any one who is not authorised. Building Control can prosecute people carrying out any work that does not meet the requirements of the Building Regulations and serve a notice on the owner/occupier of the building to bring that work up to standard.

Not all work is covered, you do not need to tell your local authority's Building Control Department about – repairs, replacements and maintenance work or extra power points or lighting points or other alterations to existing circuits (except in a kitchen or bathroom, or outdoors), you need to tell them about most other work.