Stroma Certification Scheme NICEIC prices going up, thinking of going with stroma.

[Leesparkykent]

I don’t really get the mentality to be honest, being part of a scheme is a necessary overhead for many of us.

Being part of Stroma your overhead will be about £1.18 a day

Being an NICEIC approved contractor your overhead will be about £2.05 a day

Difference being 87 pence a day. 87 pence a day difference, to be apart of the most recognized scheme is a know brainer for me especially as it generally generates work. I picked up a 17K rewire last year where the customer found my contact details from the NICEIC website. I’ve never had a builder or developer ask if I’m part P, Stroma, NAPIT etc they always ask “are you NICEIC registered”. Being part of a scheme shouldn’t be costing you anything as it should be included in your business overheads....I very much doubt you would ever loose a job being 87 pence a day more expensive.

 

[sham]

The NICEIC have never told me not to use my own certificates that I buy a disc off eBay. They have asked why I don't use their certificates which work out about £1 each I believe mine cost £20 till they change again.

can you send link or tell me hoe to get link, please ?

 

[sham]

I don’t really get the mentality to be honest, being part of a scheme is a necessary overhead for many of us.

Being part of Stroma your overhead will be about £1.18 a day

Being an NICEIC approved contractor your overhead will be about £2.05 a day

Difference being 87 pence a day. 87 pence a day difference, to be apart of the most recognized scheme is a know brainer for me especially as it generally generates work. I picked up a 17K rewire last year where the customer found my contact details from the NICEIC website. I’ve never had a builder or developer ask if I’m part P, Stroma, NAPIT etc they always ask “are you NICEIC registered”. Being part of a scheme shouldn’t be costing you anything as it should be included in your business overheads....I very much doubt you would ever loose a job being 87 pence a day more expensive.

Good point, I forgot, I got some work, that way as well. Contractors and housing agencies still ask for NICEIC contractors.

 

[Wilko]

Just looking up the fees for starting out, unless I'm mistaken :
Stroma first year £255 + vat
Nice Guys first year £890 + vat
The Nic initial assessment doubles the cost in the first year. Sorry to say that's a hurdle for me.

 

[dinger809]

Application - £495

First year - £455

Renewal - £435

That’s plus VAT

 

[peterhyper]

I went from the NICEIC to stroma to save money and regretted it. The guy that assessed me was a nightmare and was all over the place giving me misleading information. I appreciate that they are all not like that but I would have refused for him to assess me again (long story - he did pass me).

Their member support is dreadful as I was constantly having to chase them up as customers weren't getting their certs, and despite raising this with a manager many times, it just continued time and time again to the point my customers thought I was bull s**ting them.

Never once had to chase the NICEIC up for a cert, and I have always found their assessors decent. If being critical one assesor over 10 years ago was a little jobs worth but was still okay.

Despite how much people moan about the NICIEC, they are highly regarded by companies and I've only ever had customers ask me if I am an NiCEIC electrician (their words).

The money I saved going with stroma wasn't worth the hassle it caused me. I fully accept some people think stroma are fine, but I can only give my opinion/experience.

 

[FatAlan]

In domestics, customers do not really care in my experience. They have no idea of schemes and building notifications, or they do not care.

I was thinking of creating a petition for what you said. The LBC can select properties they can inspect by contacting owner. great idea. scrap all scam schemes.

Don’t really understand why the LBC building inspectors sign off on the structural stuff but stay clear of electrics? Unless there were specific grounds to suspect a dangerous installation I would politely tell a council official to ‘f’ off if they turned up at my house to check the wiring.

 

[The Ghost]

Why would you want to actively enable others

Being older and semi-retired I take pleasure in assisting and enabling people to do their own work and I am more than happy for them to do the grunt work. I feel like more using my brains than brawn nowadays. I daren't say anything about NICEIC except nice things but can't find anything nice to say so I will shut up

 

[MJPD29]

Niceic is the only one that is easily recognisable to customers. Majority of companies I've worked for request niceic. That work alone makes up the difference in price and more. Most people except sparks have never head of the others

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

When i joined the niceic the joining fee covered the 1st years fees. At time i was expecting to get another invoice for 1st years fees, it never came!!?
I also got a £50 discount as when my mate joined elecsa he jad done his 2394/5 at ts4u and quoting that got the discount so i did same and saved £50...
No questions asked. Believe it only works when joining.
A 10 quid increase is nothing much. Spend that in 2 days on coffee.

 

[45140]

Very disappointed that the NIC do not appear to be a proper trade body.

They tell the public they cannot get involved in any dispute. They state that everyone who is registered is competent and uses their trademark. However they then display a list of those who are displaying their trademark illegally but appear to be unable to understand that it is an offence to use someone else's trademark without permission and deal with these people legally.

What is the point of paying out a substantial sum to an organisation that cannot even police the misuse of its own branding ???

The other issue is that you cannot be registered until you produce work for them to inspect but you cannot do the work without being registered...... WTF is all that about ???

 

[rolyberkin]

Have never been asked who I am with and to be honest none of my domestic or commercial customers know what a scheme is or to be honest care. Stroma is cheaper and in my opinion has significantly more robust entry requirements and assessment than other schemes hence I will always recommend them over other schemes.

 

[Bellendian]

Pretty sure that list is reserved for those that failed to pay their subs on time....

 

[DPG]

Very disappointed that the NIC do not appear to be a proper trade body.

They tell the public they cannot get involved in any dispute. They state that everyone who is registered is competent and uses their trademark. However they then display a list of those who are displaying their trademark illegally but appear to be unable to understand that it is an offence to use someone else's trademark without permission and deal with these people legally.

What is the point of paying out a substantial sum to an organisation that cannot even police the misuse of its own branding ???

They have taken action where people have fraudulently used the NIC logo.

 

[n180]

As wilko said, it's the first year's fees that are a hurdle for me. The first year I'd have to pay NIC near enough a grand to join.

With stroma I paid £350. And not had any issues, had a really nice assessor, and they've always been helpful over the phone.

Almost all domestic and most medium sized companies don't ask or know about schemes, so long as you can give them a cert.

The only thing that would make me even consider NIC over stroma is if being registered on the NIC website actually generated enough work every year to justify the premium. Does it?

 

[Fitzy]

A builder friend of mine who who primary does works for insurance companies,can ONLY use NICEIC registered electricians, he very rarely comes across an insurance company that will allow other scheme member electricians complete their work as they don’t “approve” their schemes.

 

[richy3333]

Very disappointed that the NIC do not appear to be a proper trade body.

They tell the public they cannot get involved in any dispute. They state that everyone who is registered is competent and uses their trademark. However they then display a list of those who are displaying their trademark illegally but appear to be unable to understand that it is an offence to use someone else's trademark without permission and deal with these people legally.

What is the point of paying out a substantial sum to an organisation that cannot even police the misuse of its own branding ???

The other issue is that you cannot be registered until you produce work for them to inspect but you cannot do the work without being registered...... WTF is all that about ???

I don't understand your comment really as the NICEIC often have people prosecuted. Some PV company recently got jail time if I recall correctly.

I agree we should have 1 trade body and it should have teeth rather than as it is in England with half a dozen different companies.

Any scheme highlights the predicament of not being registered to do work but needing work to be assessed for an initial joining assessment so far as I know. I assume Stroma are no different?

As others have said I get plenty more work a year from being NICEIC that easily covers the annual cost, even if it is now £10 per year more. If people can't afford the extra £10 their business model must be very tenuous?

 

[Midwest]

I know you have to live in the real world, but I've seen these comments before and I know that some of the other schemes have asked to be informed of this NIC bias, and they would like to think they could take it further.

 

[Leesparkykent]

I don't understand your comment really as the NICEIC often have people prosecuted. Some PV company recently got jail time if I recall correctly.

I agree we should have 1 trade body and it should have teeth rather than as it is in England with half a dozen different companies.

Any scheme highlights the predicament of not being registered to do work but needing work to be assessed for an initial joining assessment so far as I know. I assume Stroma are no different?

As others have said I get plenty more work a year from being NICEIC that easily covers the annual cost, even if it is now £10 per year more. If people can't afford the extra £10 their business model must be very tenuous?

That’s right they got 4 years but it wasn’t just for using the logo.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

That’s right they got 4 years but it wasn’t just for using the logo.

Solar PV Company Directors Jailed for Deception - https://professional-electrician.com/news/solar-pv-company-directors-jailed-deception/