No Paperwork For New Consumer Unit Installation

[Trimglafix]

My mother has recently had a new consumer unit installed but has not been provided with any paperwork (other than a payment receipt). She says the installer did not mention that any would follow later.
I don't think that is right / legal. Surely she should receive a certificate to show the work has been done in conformance with regulations etc?

 

[Octopus]

You are quite correct. A reputable electrician would have dealt wuth the labc part p requirement too.

best you ask them for this

 

[Darkwood]

The paperwork is what protects the 'Electrician' if anything goes wrong, it shows (s)he did the relevent tests, ensured (s)he didn't reconnect anything that would be considered dangerous and reflects their competence to do the work, from a legal stance whether (s)he is required to provide the appropriate cert's I couldn't say but from a 'protecting their own posterior' angle, well it should be the minimum service that they provide such paperwork.

I would ring the contractor on your mothers behalf - explain you had the board changed for Insurance reasons and they are requesting testing Certificates for the board change and express they should have been provided with the board change.. this should make it harder for them to fob you off if you approach from this angle

 

[Trimglafix]

You are quite correct. A reputable electrician would have dealt wuth the labc part p requirement too.

best you ask them for this

Thanks for your prompt reply Murdoch. To be clear, what exactly should she be requesting from them? Is it just a certificate that the installer prints out or something more formal from a 'governing body'?

 

[Octopus]

Thanks for your prompt reply Murdoch. To be clear, what exactly should she be requesting from them? Is it just a certificate that the installer prints out or something more formal from a 'governing body'?

ALL fuseboard changes require an EIC (electrical Installation certificate) to be completed and provided to the customer AND in England and Wales there needs to be a certificate of compliance for Building Regs Part P.

Do you know how long this person was on site and how much they charged?

 

[Trimglafix]

ALL fuseboard changes require an EIC (electrical Installation certificate) to be completed and provided to the customer AND in England and Wales there needs to be a certificate of compliance for Building Regs Part P.

Do you know how long this person was on site and how much they charged?

Thanks again Murdoch. I will get her to request those.
From memory I believe she said the hours were approximately 9am to 5pm and he charged £600 for the consumer unit install. He also replaced a simple light fitting in one room (the type where a wire hangs down with light fitting on bottom) & put a new double socket on the wall just behind consumer unit. For this he charged an extra £75.
I will confirm figures when I talk to her again.

 

[Darkwood]

Thanks again Murdoch. I will get her to request those.
From memory I believe she said the hours were approximately 9am to 5pm and he charged £600 for the consumer unit install. He also replaced a simple light fitting in one room (the type where a wire hangs down with light fitting on bottom) & put a new double socket on the wall just behind consumer unit. For this he charged an extra £75.
I will confirm figures when I talk to her again.

I cannot see where the money and Labour has gone here, how many circuits are there on the new fuseboard?

 

[Trimglafix]

I cannot see where the money and Labour has gone here, how many circuits are there on the new fuseboard?

The box was a Schneider 9 (from memory). Not sure what is meant by circuits but if you mean the trip switches I think 2 banks of four and she mentioned he said there were a couple spare in case she needed to add anything else later. House is a 3 bedroom semi detached.

 

[Hellmooth]

Seems pretty excessive for what has been described!

 

[Trimglafix]

Seems pretty excessive for what has been described!

Now it has been mentioned, a quick look does suggest the job was overpriced too! On whatprice.co.uk it appears to have been charged at twice the going rate.
The box was re-positioned at the other side of interior wall from the originals position, but everything was done in a day therefore it can't have added that much to the labour charge. I see a Shneider 9 can be purchased for about £60 & the light fitting & socket must only add about a tenner. I'm sure there will have been other minor expenses but it must surely leave a minimum of £500 for the days labour. Is that the going rate for an electrician? I have no idea.

 

[Hellmooth]

I wouldn't mind being that electrician if that is the going rate.......

The materials would be no more than £150 if it was an Amendment 3 metal consumer unit.

 

[Midwest]

You mentioned relocating the new consumer unit, were the existing circuit cables extended and some form of enclosure used to do so? Was your mother given a quotation for the work in question? It does on the face of it seem rather expensive, did the installer give a breakdown in his invoice?

 

[Hellmooth]

Someone charging that much is never going to give a breakdown of costs, will try and hide it in the materials!

There may have been more work involved, but as the OP says it was done in 1 day so is pretty steep!

 

[Midwest]

Some electricians may wait for their bill to be paid, before submitting an EIC. Although they are not suppose to.

 

[davesparks]

Some electricians may wait for their bill to be paid, before submitting an EIC. Although they are not suppose to.

Who says we aren't supposed to?

 

[Midwest]

Elecsa......whom I with, say I would be a very naughty boy to do such a thing......and of course I don't.

 

[davesparks]

Elecsa......whom I with, say I would be a very naughty boy to do such a thing......and of course I don't.

That doesn't surprise me, the NICEIC assessor advised me the complete opposite a few years ago.

It's in my terms and conditions and printed at the bottom of each quote that I require a deposit before starting and only issue certificates once payment is received.

 

[Midwest]

I'm prepared to be corrected on this (no expert on contract law). However your certificate is part of your work (BS7671 requires certificates on completion of work), and your contract with your customer is to complete the work you quoted or estimated. If you have a customer who hasn't paid they could argue, that haven't done so because you haven't completed your work for them (given them a cert). So you should issue your cert, in a timely manner, and take action against customers for outstanding or late payments. That's the official company line anyway!

 

[Midwest]

Sorry Dave posted before reading your reply. I see you state that in your T&C (re certs). Think you might need to seek advice on that, if ever you got in such circumstances. A recent copy of Elecsa/NICEIC connections publication, advised against withholding certs until payment is received.

 

[Trimglafix]

Thank you for all the further comments. To answer a few questions posed;
It was previously a grey metal box consumer unit with the fusewire type fuses in.
I will look into whether wires were extended next time I am visiting as I don't know (though still only a days work).
The bill was paid on the day of fitting. It was paid by debit card using a Merchant Terminal;